Method for forming a dielectric
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsLi Li, Randhir Thakur, Richard C. Hawthorne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a selected dielectric that includes the steps of contacting a suitable substrate having a silicon containing layer with a gas mixture containing atomic nitrogen, nitric oxide and their reactive constituents at a pressure and temperature sufficient for effective dielectric layer formation for the selected dielectric layer.
Claims40
A method for forming a selected dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- contacting a substrate comprising silicon at an exposed surface thereof with a gas mixture consisting essentially of atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen, derived from N2 and NO respectively, at a pressure and temperature sufficient for effective formation of the selected dielectric layer.
A method for forming a selected oxynitride dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- contacting a substrate comprising silicon at an exposed surface thereof with a gas mixture consisting essentially of atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen, derived from N2 and NO respectively, at a pressure and temperature sufficient for effective formation of the selected oxynitride dielectric layer.
A method for forming a selected oxynitride dielectric layer, the method consisting essentially of:
- contacting a substrate comprising silicon at an exposed surface thereof with a gas mixture consisting essentially of atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen, derived from N2 and NO respectively, at a pressure and temperature sufficient for effective formation of the selected oxynitride dielectric layer.
A method for reoxidizing a Si3N4 layer to form a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- contacting a substrate having a layer comprising Si3N4 over at least a portion thereof with a gas mixture containing atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen, derived from molecular nitrogen and nitric oxide respectively, at a pressure and temperature sufficient for reoxidation of said Si3N4 layer.
A method for forming a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- treating a molecular nitrogen gas flow to produce atomic nitrogen;
- mixing the treated nitrogen gas flow containing atomic nitrogen with nitric oxide gas and exposing a structure comprising a semiconductor material to the mixture to permit the mixture to react with the semiconductor material.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- treating a molecular nitrogen gas flow to produce atomic nitrogen;
- mixing the treated nitrogen gas flow containing atomic nitrogen with nitric oxide gas and exposing a structure comprising silicon to the mixture to form a silicon oxynitride.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method consisting essentially of:
- treating a molecular nitrogen gas flow to produce atomic nitrogen;
- mixing the treated nitrogen gas flow containing atomic nitrogen with nitric oxide gas and exposing a semiconductor structure to the mixture to form an oxynitride with at least some semiconductive material of said semiconductor structure.
A method for reoxidizing a Si3N4 layer to form a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- treating a molecular nitrogen gas flow to produce atomic nitrogen;
- mixing the treated nitrogen gas flow containing atomic nitrogen with nitric oxide gas;
- and
- exposing a semiconductor substrate including a layer comprising Si3N4 over at least a portion thereof to the mixture so as to reoxidize said Si3N4 of said layer.
A method for forming a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- dissociating molecular nitrogen into atomic nitrogen;
- combining the atomic nitrogen with molecular nitric oxide in controlled proportions to form reactive constituents;
- and
- exposing at least a portion of a substrate reactive to the reactive constituents sufficiently to form the dielectric layer on the substrate.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- dissociating molecular nitrogen into atomic nitrogen;
- combining the atomic nitrogen with molecular nitric oxide in controlled proportions to form reactive constituents;
- and
- exposing at least a portion of a substrate reactive to the reactive constituents sufficiently to form the oxynitride dielectric layer on the substrate.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method consisting essentially of:
- dissociating molecular nitrogen into atomic nitrogen;
- combining the atomic nitrogen with molecular nitric oxide in controlled proportions to form reactive constituents;
- and
- exposing at least a portion of a substrate reactive to the reactive constituents sufficiently to form the oxynitride dielectric layer on the substrate.
A method for reoxidizing a Si3N4 layer to form a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- dissociating molecular nitrogen into atomic nitrogen;
- combining the atomic nitrogen with molecular nitric oxide in controlled proportions to form reactive constituents;
- and
- exposing at least a portion of a Si3N4 layer on a substrate to the reactive constituents sufficiently to form the dielectric layer on the substrate.
A method for forming a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- selecting quantities of atomic nitrogen and nitric oxide gases to produce a gas mixture consisting essentially of controlled amounts of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen available for reaction on a substrate, having an exposed silicon surface, appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- reacting the selected atomic nitrogen with said nitric oxide gases in the presence of the substrate to form a dielectric layer.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- selecting quantities of atomic nitrogen and nitric oxide gases to produce a gas mixture consisting essentially of controlled amounts of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen available for reaction on a substrate appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- reacting the selected atomic nitrogen with said nitric oxide gases in the presence of the substrate to form an oxynitride dielectric layer.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method consisting essentially of:
- selecting quantities of atomic nitrogen and nitric oxide gases to produce a gas mixture consisting essentially of controlled amounts of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen available for reaction on a substrate appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- reacting the selected atomic nitrogen with said nitric oxide gases in the presence of the substrate to form an oxynitride dielectric layer.
A method for reoxidizing a Si3N4 layer to form a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- selecting quantities of atomic nitrogen and nitric oxide gases to produce a gas mixture with controlled amounts of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen available for reaction of the Si3N4 layer on a substrate appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- reacting the selected atomic nitrogen with said nitric oxide gases in the presence of the substrate to reoxidize said Si3N4 layer.
A method for forming a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- forming a nitrogen gas plasma;
- transporting the nitrogen gas plasma to a mixing chamber;
- producing reactive constituents by adding a controlled amount of nitric oxide gas to the nitrogen gas plasma in the mixing chamber;
- transporting the reactive constituents downstream proximate to a structure comprising a semiconductor material appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- exposing the structure to the reactive constituents to form a dielectric layer from the reactive constituents and the semiconductor material on at least a portion of the structure.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- forming a nitrogen gas plasma;
- transporting the nitrogen gas plasma to a mixing chamber;
- producing reactive constituents by adding a controlled amount of nitric oxide gas to the nitrogen gas plasma in the mixing chamber;
- transporting the reactive constituents downstream proximate to a structure comprising a semiconductor material appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- exposing the structure to the reactive constituents to form an oxynitride dielectric layer from the reactive constituents and the semiconductor material on at least a portion of the structure.
A method for forming an oxynitride dielectric layer, the method consisting essentially of:
- forming a nitrogen gas plasma;
- transporting the nitrogen gas plasma to a mixing chamber;
- producing reactive constituents by adding a controlled amount of nitric oxide gas to the nitrogen gas plasma in the mixing chamber;
- transporting the reactive constituents downstream proximate to a semiconductor substrate appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- exposing the semiconductor substrate to the reactive constituents so as to permit the reactive constituents to react with a material of the semiconductor substrate to form an oxynitride dielectric layer on at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate.
A method for reoxidizing a Si3N4 layer to form a dielectric layer, the method comprising:
- forming a nitrogen gas plasma;
- transporting the nitrogen gas plasma to a mixing chamber;
- producing reactive constituents by adding a controlled amount of nitric oxide gas to the nitrogen gas plasma in the mixing chamber;
- transporting the reactive constituents downstream proximate to a semiconductor substrate, having a Si3N4 layer over at least a portion thereof, appropriately prepared for dielectric layer formation;
- and
- exposing the Si3N4 layer to the reactive constituents to reoxidize the Si3N4 layer, forming a dielectric layer.
A method for forming a dielectric layer, comprising:
- exposing a substrate comprising silicon to a gas mixture consisting essentially of atomic nitrogen and atomic oxygen, derived from N2 and NO, respectively, to form the dielectric layer.
A method for reoxidizing a dielectric layer, comprising:
- exposing a layer or structure comprising at least one of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride to a gas mixture comprising atomic nitrogen derived from NO and atomic oxygen to reoxidize the dielectric layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.