Integrated circuit gate conductor which uses layered spacers to produce a graded junction

Abstract

A transistor is provided with a graded source/drain junction. At least two dielectric spacers are formed in sequence upon the gate conductor. Adjacent dielectric spacers have dissimilar etch characteristics. An ion implant follows the formation of at least two of the dielectric spacers to introduce dopants into the source/drain region of the transistor. The ion implants are placed in different positions a spaced distance from the gate conductor according to a thickness of the dielectric spacers. As the implants are introduced further from the channel, the implant dosage and energy is increased. In a second embodiment, the ion implants are performed in reverse order. The dielectric spacers pre-exist on the sidewall surfaces of the gate conductor. The spacers are sequentially removed followed by an ion implant. An etchant is used which attacks the spacer to be removed but not the spacer beneath to the one being removed. Each time, the implants are performed with a lower energy and with a lower dosage so as to grade the junction with lighter concentrations and energies as the implant areas approach the channel. Reversing the implantation process enables high-temperature thermal anneals required for high-concentration low-diffusivity dopants to be performed first. The LDD implant comprises dopants of lower concentration and higher diffusivity requiring lower temperature anneals. Performing lower temperature anneals later in the sequence affords a lessened opportunity for undesirable short-channel effects.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.