# US 2023/0068043 A1 · Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 2023/0068043 A1
- Document ID: US20230068043A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/875,096
- Filed: 2022-07-27
- Published: 2023-03-02
- Earliest claimed: 2021-09-02
- Assignees: Renesas Electronics Corporation
- Applicants: Renesas Electronics Corporation
- Inventors: Shinji INOUE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230068043A1

## CPC

- H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
- H10B 43/30: characterised by the memory core region
- H10D 30/0413: {of FETs having charge-trapping gate insulators, e.g. MNOS transistors}
- H10D 30/69: IGFETs having charge trapping gate insulators, e.g. MNOS transistors
- H10D 62/8503: {Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN}
- H10D 64/037: {comprising charge-trapping insulators}
- H10D 64/685: {being perpendicular to the channel plane}
- G11C 16/0416: {comprising cells containing a single floating gate transistor and no select transistor, e.g. UV EPROM}
- G11C 16/10: Programming or data input circuits
- G11C 16/14: Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A semiconductor device capable of shortening an erasing time and suppressing deterioration of retention characteristics is provided. A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a main surface; a gate insulating film formed on the main surface; and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. The gate insulating film includes a first silicon nitride film, and a first silicon oxide film arranged between the main surface and the first silicon nitride film and in contact with the first silicon nitride film. A Si—Si bond is formed in a boundary portion between the first silicon oxide film first silicon nitride film.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a main surface;
a gate insulating film formed on the main surface; and
a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film,
wherein the gate insulating film includes:
a first silicon nitride film; and
a silicon oxide film arranged between the main surface and the first silicon nitride film and in contact with the first silicon nitride film, and
wherein a Si—Si bond is formed in a boundary portion between the silicon oxide film and the first silicon nitride film.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1,
wherein density of the Si—Si bond is lower than density of an O—Si bond in the boundary portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor device according to claim 2,
wherein the density of the Si—Si bond in the boundary portion is 7×1012 pieces/cm2 or less.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1,
wherein the gate insulating film is a film in which a bottom oxide film made of the silicon oxide film, the first silicon nitride film, an insulating film formed on the first silicon nitride film, a second silicon nitride film formed on the insulating film, and a top oxide film are laminated in this order.

### Claim 5

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a gate insulating film on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate; and
forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film,
wherein the forming the gate insulating film includes:
forming a silicon oxide film on the main surface;
forming Si terminations on a surface of the silicon oxide film; and
forming a silicon nitride film on the surface so that Si is bonded to each of the Si terminations.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5,
wherein the forming the Si terminations includes:
forming OH terminations on the surface; and
after the forming the OH terminations, desorbing H2O from the surface by heating the surface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6,
wherein in the desorbing the H2O from the surface, the surface is heated to 430° C. or higher and 520° C. or lower.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5,
wherein the forming the silicon nitride film is performed without exposing the surface to an atmosphere containing oxygen after the forming the Si terminations.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5,
wherein in the forming the Si terminations, the surface is exposed to at least one selected from a group consisting of hydrochloric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture (HPM), ammonia-hydrogen peroxide mixture (APM), hydrofluoric acid (HF), a treatment liquid containing water, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen peroxide gas, and water vapor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5,
wherein in the forming the silicon oxide film, the silicon oxide film is formed by heating the main surface under an atmosphere containing oxygen.