Tokyo, June 20, 2006 --- NEC Corporation (NEC) today announced
the joint development of a new technology for realizing low-power
and high-performance SOC devices of technology nodes of 65 nm, 45
nm and beyond. The developed technology enables fabrication of a
highly reliable metal/high-k gate transistor utilizing a simple
method.
This research result was achieved by the following:
(1) Use of a highly reliable HfSiON (Hf) high-k gate dielectric
film and a Ni-silicide gate electrode that is compatible with
conventional processes.
(2) Clarification of the impact of the crystalline phase of a
Ni-FUSI gate electrode on long-term reliability.
(3) A combination of NiSi (n-FET) and Ni3Si (p-FET) is adopted
to ensure reliable performance.
(4) A newly developed method realizes control of the thickness
of the silicon for the silicide formation, thereby enabling clear
definition of the crystalline phase of NiFUSI, even in short
channel gates.
(5) While controlling the height of the gate electrode,
compressive force was intentionally applied to the p-FET channel
region, enhancing mobility of holes.
To date, there have been several issues with metal/high-k gate
stacks including the maintenance of stable current output after
prolonged operation, which has not been realized due to increased
current leakage through the ultra-thin gate stack. The newly
developed technology solves this major issue, in addition to
lowering production costs owing to the simple process and high
uniformity in transistor performance. This is a large step toward
the realization of low-power-consuming devices with a metal/high-k
gate stack, prolonging the battery life of mobile equipment.
NEC will accelerate its research and development on metal/high-K
gate stacks toward the provision of highly reliable, low-power
mobile terminals, vital in a ubiquitous networked society. The
details of this research will be presented at the 2006 symposium on
VLSI technology, which is being held from June 13 to 15 in Hawaii,
U.S.A.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) is one of the world's leading
providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business
solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its diverse
and global base of customers. NEC delivers tailored solutions in
the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by
integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks, and by
providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics
Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000 people
worldwide and had net sales of approximately 4,825 billion yen
(approx. $41.2 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 2006.
For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at:
http://www.nec.com
* Newsroom: http://www.nec.co.jp/press/en/