Dielectric Film and Method of Forming the Same

A semiconductor device comprising a silicon substrate, a dielectric film formed on a surface of the silicon substrate, and an electrode formed on the dielectric film, wherein:

• an N concentration at a surface of the dielectric film is 3 at % or more,
• an N concentration present at an interface between the silicon surface and the dielectric film is 0.1 at % or less, and
• a film thickness is 2 nm or less.

A method of forming a dielectric film, comprising the steps of:

• forming a silicon oxide film on a surface of a silicon substrate, and
• altering a surface of the silicon oxide film by exposing the surface to a nitriding species such as a nitriding radical species, a nitriding excited active species, or a nitriding ion species.

A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

• forming a silicon oxide film on a surface of a silicon substrate,
• altering a surface of the silicon oxide film by exposing the surface to a nitriding species such as a nitriding radical species, a nitriding excited active species, or a nitriding ion species, and
• forming a gate electrode on the altered surface of the silicon oxide film.