UV erasable EPROM with UV transparent silicon oxynitride coating

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• at least one element selected from the class consisting of active and passive elements formed on or in said semiconductor substrate;
• a first insulating film formed on said semiconductor substrate;
• electrodes of said at least one element disposed on said substrate;
• a second insulating film formed on said substrate and covering said at least one element, said first insulating film and said electrodes, said second insulating film consisting of an oxynitride having an oxygen atom percentage, based on the total of the oxygen and nitrogen atoms of said oxynitride, in the range of from 20 to 70%, said second insulating film being permeable to ultraviolet rays;
• said device comprising an ultraviolet-erasable EPROM device wherein information stored therein is erasable by subjecting said device to irradiaton by ultraviolet rays;
• and
• means for permitting ultraviolet radiation to impinge on said EPROM device and to pass through second insulating film for selectively erasing information stored therein.