Transistor and method of making the same

A method of fabricating a semiconductor memory device on a substrate comprising:

• providing a substrate having an oxide layer over at least portions of said substrate, said oxide layer having an upper portion and an interface with said substrate, said oxide layer formed by one of thermally growing said oxide layer from said silicon substrate and depositing an oxide layer over at least portions of said substrate;
• hardening said oxide layer using a remote plasma-based nitrogen hardening treatment for incorporating nitrogen into at least said upper portion of said oxide layer;
• annealing said oxide layer following said remote plasma-based nitrogen hardening treatment, said oxide layer having a concentration of nitrogen in said upper portion thereof about at least five times greater than said nitrogen concentration at said interface of said oxide layer and said substrate;
• and
• creating at least one surface P-channel transistor including at least a portion of said oxide layer.

A treatment method for a surface P-channel transistor on a substrate, comprising:

• providing a substrate having an oxide layer over at least portions of said substrate;
• placing said substrate in a nitrogen-containing environment, said oxide layer having an upper portion and an interface with said substrate, said oxide layer including a small concentration of nitrogen in said at least a portion of said oxide layer adjacent said interface of said oxide layer and said substrate;
• hardening said oxide layer using a remote plasma-based nitrogen hardening treatment for incorporating nitrogen into at least said upper portion of said oxide layer, said upper portion of said oxide layer having a concentration of nitrogen therein varying from about at least five times greater than said nitrogen concentration at said interface of said oxide layer and said substrate;
• and
• forming at least one surface P-channel transistor including at least a portion of said oxide layer.