Methods for reoxidizing an oxide and for fabricating semiconductor devices
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsLi Li, Pai-Hung Pan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Oxidation methods and resulting structures including providing an oxide layer on a substrate and then reoxidizing the oxide layer by vertical ion bombardment of the oxide layer in an atmosphere containing at least one oxidant. The oxide layer may be provided over diffusion regions, such as source and drain regions, in a substrate. The oxide layer may overlie the substrate and is proximate a gate structure on the substrate. The at least one oxidant may be oxygen, water, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide, or a mixture thereof. These oxidation methods provide a low-temperature oxidation process, less oxidation of the sidewalls of conductive layers in the gate structure, and less current leakage to the substrate from the gate structure.
Claims20
A method for reoxidizing an oxide, comprising:
- bombarding at least some oxygen atoms with at least one ion of an inert atom in an atmosphere consisting essentially of the at least one ion and at least one oxidant, the at least some oxygen atoms being in proximity to an oxide over a substrate.
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- fabricating at least one gate structure on a semiconductor substrate;
- forming at least one oxide on the substrate, laterally adjacent to each side of the at least one gate structure;
- forming at least one diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate, beneath the at least one oxide;
- and
- bombarding oxygen over the at least one diffusion region and laterally adjacent to the at least one gate structure with at least one ion of an inert atom in an atmosphere comprising at least one oxidant.
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- forming at least one oxide material over source and drain regions of a semiconductor substrate;
- forming at least one gate structure comprising a dielectric material and a conductive material on the semiconductor substrate;
- forming sidewall spacers on the at least one gate structure;
- and
- before forming the sidewall spacers, bombarding the at least one oxide material with ions to increase a thickness of the at least one oxide material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.