High surface dopant concentration formation processes and structures formed thereby

A structure comprising:

• an active area on a substrate, the active area comprising a source/drain region, the source/drain region comprising:
• a surface dopant region at an upper surface of the source/drain region, the surface dopant region comprising a first dopant concentration;
• and
• a remainder portion of the source/drain region having a second dopant concentration;
• and
• wherein the first dopant concentration decreases in the surface dopant region to the second dopant concentration of the remainder portion of the source/drain region, wherein the decrease of the first dopant concentration in the surface dopant region includes a decrease at a rate of 1 decade of concentration per 5 nm or less;
• a gate structure over the active area and proximate the source/drain region;
• a dielectric layer over the active area and the gate structure;
• and
• a conductive feature through the dielectric layer to the upper surface of the source/drain region.

A method comprising:

• forming a source/drain region in an active area on a substrate, the source/drain region having a first dopant concentration;
• forming a dielectric layer over the active area and the source/drain region;
• forming an opening through the dielectric layer, the opening exposing at least a portion of an upper surface of the source/drain region;
• forming a surface dopant region in the source/drain region at the upper surface of the source/drain region, forming the surface dopant region comprising plasma doping the source/drain region through the opening, the surface dopant region comprising a second dopant concentration proximate the upper surface of the source/drain region;
• and
• forming a conductive feature in the opening to the surface dopant region in the source/drain region.