Method of two-step annealing of ultra-thin silicon dioxide layers for uniform nitrogen profile
US6548366B2 · kind B2 · utility
30Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 20, 2001 |
| Grant date | Apr 15, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 20, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/02323
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention is a method of forming an ultra-thin dielectric layer, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a semiconductor surface; forming an oxygen-containing layer on the semiconductor surface; exposing the oxygen-containing layer to a nitrogen-containing plasma to create a uniform nitrogen distribution throughout the oxygen-containing layer; and re-oxidizing and annealing the layer to stabilize the nitrogen distribution, heal plasma-induced damage, and reduce interfacial defect density.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.