Charles M Whitman

US Patent:

20150255560, Sep 10, 2015

Filed:

Feb 20, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/627340

Inventors:

- Greensboro NC, US
Eunki Hong - Oak Ridge NC, US
Charles S. Whitman - Greensboro NC, US

International Classification:

H01L 29/47
H01L 21/02
H01L 29/20
H01L 21/285
H01L 29/812
H01L 29/66

Abstract:

A semiconductor device with reduced leakage current and a method of making the same is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having a device layer, a dielectric layer, and a gate metal opening within the dielectric layer between a source contact and a gate contact. A first metal layer is disposed within the gate metal opening, and a second metal layer is disposed directly onto the second metal layer, wherein the second metal layer is oxidized and has a thickness that ranges from about 4 Angstroms to about 20 Angstroms to limit a leakage current of a total gate periphery to between around 0.1 μA/mm and around 50 μA/mm. A current carrying layer is disposed on the second metal layer. In one embodiment, the first metal layer is nickel (Ni), the second metal layer is palladium (Pd), and the current carrying layer is gold (Au).