Low temperature poly oxide processes for high-k/metal gate flow

Abstract

An integrated circuit device is disclosed as comprising a feature that is susceptible to oxidation. A poly-oxide coating is used over the feature susceptible to oxidation to protect the feature susceptible to oxidation from oxidizing. Various method can be used to form the poly-oxide coating include conversion of a ploy-silicon coating using UV O 3 low temperature oxidation and plasma nitridation using either decoupled plasma nitridation or NH 3 annealing.

1 . A transistor, comprising:
 a stack comprising at least one of a high-k gate layer and a metal gate layer; and   a coating comprising one of poly-oxide and a silicon oxynitride (SiON) based poly-oxide over the stack to prevent oxidation of the at least one of the high-k layer and the metal gate layer, wherein the coating has a thickness uniformity in the range of 15-25 angstroms (A).   
   
   
       2 . The transistor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the transistor is a metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor.   
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . The transistor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the coating is a poly-oxide.   
   
   
       8 . An integrated circuit device, comprising:
 a feature susceptible to oxidation; and   a coating over the feature susceptible to oxidation to protect the feature susceptible to oxidation from oxidizing, the coating comprising one of poly-oxide and a silicon oxynitride (SiON) based poly-oxide, and further comprising poly-silicon, wherein the coating coats the feature.   
   
   
       9 . The integrated circuit device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the integrated circuit device is a transistor.   
   
   
       10 . The integrated circuit device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the transistor is comprised of a high-k gate stack.   
   
   
       11 . The integrated circuit device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 The integrated circuit is a metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor.   
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . The integrated circuit device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the coating comprises is a SiON based poly-oxide and poly-silicon.   
   
   
       17 . A method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device, comprising:
 forming the integrated circuit device;   depositing a thin layer of a first material over the integrated circuit device; and   converting the first material to a second material to prevent oxidation within the integrated circuit device.   
   
   
       18 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the step of converting is performed using UV oxidation.   
   
   
       19 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the method of preventing oxidation is performed on a transistor.   
   
   
       20 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the transistor is comprised of a high-k gate stack.   
   
   
       21 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the first material is poly-silicon.   
   
   
       22 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the second material is poly-oxide.   
   
   
       23 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the poly-oxide coating is formed through ultra violet O 3  oxidation.   
   
   
       24 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the poly-oxide coating is formed using decoupled plasma nitridation.   
   
   
       25 . The method of preventing oxidation within an integrated circuit device according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the poly-oxide coating is formed using NH 3  annealing.   
   
   
       26 . The integrated circuit device according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the coating comprises poly-oxide and poly-silicon.   
   
   
       27 . The integrated circuit device according to  claim 8 , wherein the coating is a partially converted coating.