US Patent 11222977 Source/drain diffusion barrier for germanium NMOS transistors

Integrated circuit transistor structures are disclosed that reduce n-type dopant diffusion, such as phosphorous or arsenic, from the source region and the drain region of a germanium n-MOS device into adjacent shallow trench isolation (STI) regions during fabrication. The n-MOS transistor device may include at least 75% germanium by atomic percentage. In an example embodiment, the structure includes an intervening diffusion barrier deposited between the n-MOS transistor and the STI region to provide dopant diffusion reduction. In some embodiments, the diffusion barrier may include silicon dioxide with carbon concentrations between 5 and 50% by atomic percentage. In some embodiments, the diffusion barrier may be deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques to achieve a diffusion barrier thickness in the range of 1 to 5 nanometers.