Patent · US Expired

Method for growing ultra thin nitrided oxide

US6803330B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
15References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 12, 2001
Grant dateOct 12, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 12, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D64/693
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of nitriding a gate oxide layer by annealing a preformed oxide layer with nitric oxide (NO) gas is disclosed. The nitridation process can be carried out at lower temperatures and pressures than a conventional nitrous oxide anneal while still achieving acceptable levels of nitridation. The nitridation process can be conducted at atmospheric or sub-atmospheric pressures. As a result, the nitridation process can be used to form nitrided gate oxide layers in-situ in a CVD furnace. The nitrided gate oxide layer can optionally be reoxidized in a second oxidation step after the nitridation step. A gate electrode layer (e.g., boron doped polysilicon) can then be deposited on top of the nitrided gate oxide layer or on top of the reoxidized and nitrided gate oxide layer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.