Plasma vapor deposition of an improved passivation film using electron cyclotron resonance

• US 4,866,003 A
• Filed: 11/20/1987
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Yokoi, Katsuyuki, Fujioka, Toshio, Suga, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pawlikowski, Beverly A.
• Application Number:
  US07/123,566
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 437/040, 437/228, 437/173, 437/018, 118/723, 118/50.1, 427/047, 156/643
• US Class Current: 438/792
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3185 of siliconnitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/291 Oxides or nitrides or carbides, e.g. ceramics, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3171 the coating being directly applied to the semiconductor body, e.g. passivation layer H01L23/3178 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/114 Nitrides of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/958 Passivation layer

Abstract

For enhancement of device stability, there is disclosed a semiconductor device fabricated on a semiconductor substrate comprising (a) source and drain regions formed in a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate and spaced from each other by a channel region, (b) a gate insulating film formed on the channel region, (c) a gate electrode structure formed on the gate insulating film, and (d) a passivation film of an insulating material covering the gate electrode structure and containing hydrogen-bonded-silicons equal in number to or less than 5×10²¹ per cm³, and the unstable hydrogen-bonded-silicons are decreased in number so that the semiconductor device only have a decreased trap density which results in stable operation.

Claims

1. A process of fabricating a semiconductor devise, comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing a multi-layer structure having source and drain regions formed in respective portions of a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film formed over an area between the source and drain regions and a gate electrode structure formed on the gate insulating film; and

(b) forming a passivation film covering said multi-layer structure by a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique using a plasma associated with an electron cyclotron resonance, said passivation film being formed with a contained number of hydrogen-bonded-silicons less than or equal to 5×

10²¹ per cubic centimeter, thereby improving the sensitivity of the passivation film to injected hot carriers.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1, in which said plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition is carried out by using a gaseous mixture having silane and nitrogen.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1, in which said plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition is carried out at a pressure equal to or less than 8×

10^-3 Torr.