Determination of Dimension and Conformal Arsenic Doping Profile of a Fin Field Effect Transistors by Time-of-Flight Medium Energy Ion Scattering

Abstract

We have developed a methodology that analyzes the dimensions and conformal doping profiles in fin field effect transistors (FinFET) using time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering (TOF-MEIS). The structure of a 3D FinFET and As dopant profiles were determined by comprehensive simulations of TOF-MEIS measurements made in three different scattering geometries. The width and height of a FinFET and the As doping profiles in the top, side, and bottom of fin were analyzed simultaneously. The results showed the dimension and conformal doping profile of nanostructures with complex shape can be determined by TOF-MEIS nondestructively, quantitatively, and with subnm depth resolution without any sputtering and matrix effects.

Recent advances in MEIS

“…In addition to ultrathin film analysis, MEIS has been successfully applied to nanoparticle composition profiling with the development of the MEIS spectra simulation program for 3D nanostructured materials such as quantum dots and catalysts . With the development of TOF‐MEIS instrumentation that allows small spot analysis down to ~10 μm and minimizes the ion beam damage issue, applications of MEIS to nanoparticles have been extended to composition 3D profiling in nanostructured devices such as As dopant profiling in the fin field effect transistor (FinFET) and investigations of the initial nucleation mechanism of nanoclusters in the sub‐nm range . Strain depth profiling of MEIS on thin film interfaces has been extended to study nanomaterial systems such as quantum dots, nanoislands, and nanodisks.…”

Elucidating the capability of electron backscattering for 3D nano-structure determination

“…A technological example of such a structure is 3D fin field effect transistors (FinFET), nowadays widely used in micro-electronics. Understanding of how such an artificial anisotropy affects surfacesensitive techniques, and, consequently, how we can use these techniques to characterize such a surface, is an important question to address [4][5][6].…”