For the first time, we discuss the compatibility of stress proximity technique (SPT) with dual stress liner (DSL) in high-κ/metal gate (HK/MG) technology. The short-channel mobility enhancement and the drive current improvement brought by SPT have been demonstrated at 32nm technology node. With maintained short channel control and threshold voltage roll-off characteristics, SPT has achieved 7% drive current improvement for both nFET and pFET from the optimization of SPT with DSL.

In order to achieve a better understanding of hydrogen segregation to interfaces, a combination of techniques is being used in which hydrogen is deliberately introduced into planar interfaces between thin films, then the segregation measured using highenergy ion-beam profiling techniques. Results are given for heterophase interfaces produced by epitaxial deposition on silicon: The AI/Si (111) and CoSi2/Si (001) interfaces. A preliminary study of Au tilt boundaries in thin-film bicrystals shows the presence of a large amount of hydrogen, ∼1016 atoms/cm2, in the boundary after plasma hydrogenation, but also the presence of C impurity (∼ 1.6 × 1015 atoms/cm2 ) and Ag. We conclude that some of the hydrogen in the boundary may have been chemically bound to the carbon.

The Al–Ni2Si reactions were studied in lateral diffusion couples containing Al islands on Ni–Si multiple layers. The samples were first in situ annealed in a transmission electron microscope at a temperature of 370°C for 5 min to form the Ni2Si phase in the multiple-layer area. Then they were in situ annealed at temperatures ranging from 498–545 °C. During the second-step anneal, a sequential formation of Al3Ni, Al3Ni2, and Ni3Si2 was observed. After the nucleation of the third phase (Ni3Si2), the three phases grew simultaneously with time. The lateral growth of Al3Ni and Al3Ni2 is a result of the Al diffusion and the Al–Ni silicide reactions; the lateral growth of Ni3Si2 is caused by the diffusion of Si atoms dissociated from the silicides.

Lateral diffusion couples containing Al islands on Pd–Si multiple layers are used to study Al–Pd2Si reactions. The Pd2Si phase was first formed in the Pd–Si multiple-layer region after furnace annealing at 225 °C. Then, the Al–Pd2Si lateral couples were in situ annealed in a transmission electron microscope at temperatures ranging from 377–438 °C. The laterally growing region is composed of the Al3Pd2 compound and Si precipitates, as identified by selected area diffraction (SAD). During the in situ anneals, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were recorded by a video cassette recorder allowing thereafter a kinetic study. The lateral growth is parabolically dependent on the annealing time. An activation energy of 1.7 eV is found for this diffusion process.

A detailed study of the interdiffusion and resistivity of Cu/Au, Cu/Co/ Co/Au and Cu/Co/Au thin film structures was carried out at temperatures ranging from 25 to 550°C1. Both Cu and Au, in the Cu/Au structure, intermix readily even at temperatures as low as 150°C and the interdiffusion is accompanied by rapid increase in resistivity. Very little interdiffusion occurs in the Cu/Co, Co/Au or Cu/Co/Au thin film structures up to about 400°C, after which the resistivity increases. The very rapid increase in resistivity observed at 250°C for the Cu/Au system and at 450°C for Cu/Co/Au, is associated with recrystallization of the films into large grains and the formation of AuCu, Cu3Au and Cu3Au2 compounds. The Cu/Co/Au structure recrystallizes at a higher temperature because of the time needed for Cu and Au to diffuse through the Co layer, which did not react significantly with either Au or Cu.

Hydrogen segregation at the interface between an epitaxial Al film and a Si (111) substrate is studied using the 1H(15N, αγ)12C nuclear resonant reaction. Hydrogen depth profiles show that H atoms diffuse through the 1600 Å thick Al layer during 500 eV H implantation and are trapped at the Al/Si interface. The total amount of interface H is about 2 × 1015 /cm2 after a 1.4 × 1018 H/cm2 implantation, and the H atoms are narrowly distributed in the direction normal to the interface. During an isothermal anneal at 360 K, the amount of interface H decreases exponentially with annealing time; and during ramp annealing from 110 to 500 K, an abrupt release of the interface H is observed at temperature around 380 K. The release rates in both cases are controlled by a first order thermally activated de-trapping process with a binding energy of 0.86 eV/atom.

The dependence of ion irradiation induced grain growth on collision and material properties were studied in metal and alloy thin films. The uniform grain size increased with ion dose in the low dose regime; and the growth saturated in the high dose regime. The saturated grain size was determined 'by the cascade dimension as well as the atomic mobility. The growth was further influenced by the temperature, composition and impurity.

In situ observations of 1.5 MeV Xe+ ion irradiated Au films at room temperature and at 150°C reveal the evolution of grain growth: the average grain size increases by the mechanisms of grain boundary migration and grain coalescence.

Phase formation of NiAl3 and Ni2Al3 were studied individually in lateral diffusion couples A and B and simultaneously in sample C. The lateral growth of certain phases was controlled by varying the thickness ratios of Al to Ni at the source and thin film area. Parabolic dependence of the phase width on annealing time was found for NiAl3 and Ni2Al3 in the one-phase and two-phase growth at 425 °C.