Using H2anneal to improve the electrical characteristics of gate oxide
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsMo-Chiun Yu, Syun-Ming Jang
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Abstract
A new method is provided to anneal the gate oxide after the gate oxide has been grown. The first embodiment of the invention teaches a two step anneal, a first anneal using H2 followed by a second anneal using N2. The second embodiment of the invention teaches a one step anneal using H2 mixed with N2. The third embodiment of the invention teaches a one step anneal using pure H2.
Claims8
A method for forming a high quality oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor substrate having a silicon based surface, placing said semiconductor substrate in a heat treatment furnace, said heat treatment furnace comprising an inert gas;
- thermally forming an oxide layer on said silicon based substrate, forming an oxidized silicon-based surface;
- first annealing said oxidized silicon-based surface by introducing a first annealing agent comprising H2 into said heat treatment furnace while maintaining a first temperature between about 800 and 1200 degrees C. for a first time span of between about 20 and 40 seconds;
- and
- second annealing said oxidized silicon-based surface by introducing a second annealing agent comprising N2 into said heat treatment furnace while maintaining said second temperature of between about 800 and 1200 degrees C. during a second time span of between about 20 and 40 seconds;
- and
- cooling the oxidized, silicon based surface in the presence of both the inert gas and the first and second annealing agents.
A method for forming a high quality oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor substrate said substrate having a silicon-based surface, placing said semiconductor substrate in a heat treatment furnace, said heat treatment furnace comprising an inert gas;
- thermally forming an oxide layer on said silicon based surface;
- and
- annealing said oxidized silicon based surface in a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen by exposing said oxidized silicon based surface by introducing an annealing agent comprising a mixture of about equal amounts of H2 and N2 into said CVD reaction chamber, at a temperature between about 850 and 1100 degrees C., for a duration between about 20 and 100 seconds;
- and
- cooling said oxidized, silicon based surface in the presence of both said inert gas and said annealing agent.
A method for forming a high quality oxide on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor substrate said substrate having a silicon-based surface, placing said semiconductor substrate in a heat treatment furnace, said heat treatment furnace comprising an inert gas;
- thermally forming an oxide layer on said silicon based surface;
- annealing said oxidized silicon based surface in a hydrogen containing ambient by exposing said oxidized silicon based surface by introducing an annealing agent comprising pure H2 into said CVD reaction chamber at a temperature between about 850 and 1100 degrees C. for a duration between about 20 and 100 seconds;
- and
- cooling said oxidized, silicon based surface in the presence of both said inert gas and said annealing agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.