Dielectric film and formation method thereof, semiconductor device, non-volatile semiconductor memory device, and fabrication method for a semiconductor device
First Claim
1. A dielectric film formed on a silicon surface that is free of surface-terminating hydrogen, said dielectric film containing therein a rare gas element and further nitrogen with a concentration distribution such that a nitrogen concentration increase toward the surface of said dielectric film from a central part of said dielectric film,wherein said insulation dielectric film contains hydrogen atoms of not more than 1012/cm2.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a film formation method of a semiconductor device including a plurality of silicon-based transistors or capacitors, there exist hydrogen at least in a part of the silicon surface in advance, and the film formation method removes the hydrogen by exposing the silicon surface to a first inert gas plasma. Thereafter a silicon compound layer is formed on the surface of the silicon gas by generating plasma while using a mixed gas of a second inert gas and one or more gaseous molecules, such that there is formed a silicon compound layer containing at least a pat of the elements constituting the gaseous molecules, on the surface of the silicon gas.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A dielectric film formed on a silicon surface that is free of surface-terminating hydrogen, said dielectric film containing therein a rare gas element and further nitrogen with a concentration distribution such that a nitrogen concentration increase toward the surface of said dielectric film from a central part of said dielectric film,
wherein said insulation dielectric film contains hydrogen atoms of not more than 1012/cm2.
-
6. A semiconductor device, comprising:
-
a silicon substrate having a surface that is essentially free of surface-terminating hydrogen; an insulation film formed on said silicon substrate surface; and an electrode formed on said insulation film, wherein said insulation film contains therein a rare gas element and nitrogen, the concentration of said nitrogen increases toward the film surface of said insulation film contacting with said electrode from a central part of said film. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, comprising:
-
a silicon substrate having a surface that is essentially free of surface-terminating hydrogen; a tunneling insulation film formed on said silicon substrate surface; a floating gate electrode formed on said tunneling insulation film; an inter-electrode insulation film formed on said floating gate electrode; and a control gate electrode formed on said inter-electrode insulation film, at least one of said tunneling insulation film and said inter-electrode insulation film containing therein a rare gas element and nitrogen, and the concentration of said nitrogen increasing toward a film surface from a central part of said film. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of forming a dielectric film, comprising:
-
forming a silicon oxide film on a surface; and modifying a surface of said silicon oxide film by exposing the same to hydrogen nitride radicals NH* in the absence of a Si-containing gas, wherein said hydrogen nitride radicals NH* are formed by a microwave plasma formed in a mixed gas of an inert gas selected from the group consisting of Ar and Kr, and a mixed gas of N2 gas and H2 gas.
-
-
18. A method of forming a dielectric film, comprising:
-
forming a silicon oxide film on a surface; and modifying a surface of said silicon oxide film by exposing the same to microwave plasma formed in a mixed gas of an inert gas selected from the group consisting of Ar and Kr, and a mixed gas of N2 gas and H2 gas in the absence of a Si-containing gas.
-
-
19. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
-
forming a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate by oxidation; modifying a surface of said silicon oxide film by exposing the same to hydrogen nitride radicals NH* in the absence of a Si-containing gas; and forming a gate electrode on said modified silicon oxide film, wherein said hydrogen nitride radicals (NH*) are formed by microwave plasma formed in a mixed gas of an inert gas selected from the group consisting of Ar and Kr, and a mixed gas containing N2 gas and H2 gas.
-
-
20. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
-
forming a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate by oxidation; modifying a surface of said silicon oxide film by exposing said surface to a microwave plasma formed in a mixed gas of an inert gas selected from the group consisting of Ar and Kr and a mixed gas of N2 gas and H2 gas in the absence of a Si-containing gas, and forming a gate electrode on said modified silicon oxide film.
-
-
21. A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate; and
an insulation film formed thereon, wherein an interface between said semiconductor substrate and said insulation film is free from hydrogen terminating a surface of said semiconductor substrate wherein said insulation film contains hydrogen atoms of not more than 1012/cm2. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
- a semiconductor substrate; and
-
24. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
-
removing hydrogen atoms terminating a surface of a semiconductor substrate by exposing said surface of said semiconductor substrate to rare gas plasma; and forming a film on said semiconductor substrate surface from which said terminating hydrogen atoms are removed. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
Specification