Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a substrate;
• a plate-like semiconductor element region formed on the substrate;
• a source region and a drain region formed in the plate-like semiconductor element region, and located at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction of the plate-like semiconductor element region;
• a first insulating film formed on a portion of the semiconductor element region, the portion being located between the source region and the drain region;
• a charge storage film formed on the first insulating film;
• a second insulating film formed above the charge storage film and made of a high-permittivity material;
• a control gate electrode formed above the second insulating film;
• and
• a silicon nitride layer including nitrogen atoms having three-coordinate nitrogen bonds, at least one of second-nearest neighbor atoms of the nitrogen atoms being a nitrogen atom,
• at least one of the charge storage film and the control gate electrode containing silicon, the silicon nitride layer being located between the second insulating film and the at least one of the charge storage film and the control gate electrode.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate;
• forming a charge storage film on the first insulating film;
• forming a second insulating film made of a high-permittivity film above the charge storage film;
• forming a control gate electrode above the second insulating film;
• forming a silicon nitride layer on at least one of the charge storage film and the second insulating film, the silicon nitride layer including nitrogen atoms having three-coordinate nitrogen bonds, at least one of second-nearest neighbor atoms of the nitrogen atoms being a nitrogen atom.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• forming a plate-like semiconductor element region on a substrate;
• forming a first insulating film so as to cover side faces and a top face of a portion of the semiconductor element region, the first insulating film being located in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the semiconductor element region extends;
• forming a charge storage film on the first insulating film;
• forming a second insulating film made of a high-permittivity material above the charge storage film;
• forming a control gate electrode above the second insulating film;
• forming a silicon nitride layer on at least one of the charge storage film and the second insulating film, the silicon nitride layer including nitrogen atoms having three-coordinate nitrogen bonds, at least one of second-nearest neighbor atoms of the nitrogen atoms being a nitrogen atom.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

• forming a silicon nitride layer on a silicon substrate by nitriding the silicon substrate with the use of a nitriding gas diluted with a dilution gas that does not react with the silicon substrate, the silicon nitride layer including nitrogen atoms having three-coordinate nitrogen bonds, at least one of second-nearest neighbor atoms of the nitrogen atoms being a nitrogen atom;
• forming a high-permittivity insulating film on the silicon nitride layer;
• and
• forming a gate electrode on the high-permittivity insulating film.