Ammonia gas passivation on nitride encapsulated devices
US6544908B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 30, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L2924/19041
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for passivating at least interfaces between structures formed from a material including silicon and adjacent dielectric structures so as to reduce a concentration of dangling silicon bonds at these interfaces and to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of unwanted voltage changes across the dielectric structures. The method includes disassociating ammonia so as to expose at least the interfaces to at least hydrogen species derived from the ammonia and forming an encapsulant layer that is positioned so as to substantially contain the hydrogen species in the presence of the interfaces. The hydrogen-passivation reduces a concentration of dangling silicon bonds at the interfaces by as much as about two orders of magnitude or greater. The encapsulant layer, which may include a silicon nitride, substantially prevents the hydrogen species from escaping therethrough as processes that require temperatures of at least about 400° C. or of at least about 600° C. are conducted. Once such high temperature processes have been completed, portions of the encapsulant layer may be removed, as needed, to provide access to features of the semiconductor device structure that underlie the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.