Semiconductor doping with reduced gate edge diode leakage

Abstract

Semiconductor doping techniques, along with related methods and structures, are disclosed that produce components having a more tightly controlled source and drain extension region dopant profiles without significantly inducing gate edge diode leakage. The technique follows the discovery that carbon, which may be used as a diffusion suppressant for dopants such as boron, may produce a gate edge diode leakage if present in significant quantities in the source and drain extension regions. As an alternative to placing carbon in the source and drain extension regions, carbon may be placed in the source and drain regions, and the thermal anneal used to activate the dopant may be relied upon to diffuse a small concentration of the carbon into the source and drain extension regions, thereby suppressing dopant diffusion in these regions without significantly inducing gate edge diode leakage. The increased concentration of carbon in the source and drain regions may permit heavier doping of the source/drain region, leading to improved gate capacitance.