Pattern dependency in selective epitaxy of B-doped SiGe layers for advanced metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors

This study presents investigations about the physical mechanisms, origin, and methods to control the pattern dependency in selective epitaxial growth of Si1-xGex (x=0.14-0.32) layers. It is shown with a comprehensive experimental study that the local Si coverage of individual chips on patterned wafers is the main parameter for the layer profile in the epitaxial growth. This was explained by the gas depletion of the growth species in the low velocity boundary layer over the wafer. The gas depletion radius around each oxide opening was in the centimeter range which is related to the boundary layer thickness. The results from these experiments were applied to grow Si0.75Ge0.25 layers with B concentration of 4x10(20) cm(-3) selectively for elevated source and drains in fully depleted ultrathin body silicon on insulator p metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (p-MOSFET) devices. The epitaxy control was maintained over a wide range of device sizes by optimized process parameters in combination with a wafer pattern design consisting of dummy features causing a uniform gas depletion over the chips on the wafer. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.