Process for growing a dielectric layer on a silicon-containing surface using a mixture of N2O and O3

A process for forming a field-effect transistor gate dielectric layer containing both silicon dioxide and silicon nitride on an exposed surface of a layer of polycrystalline silicon having a desired thickness, said process comprising:

• providing a chamber;
• determining the desired thickness of a layer of said field-effect transistor gate dielectric layer containing both silicon dioxide and silicon nitride on said exposed surface of said layer of polycrystalline silicon;
• heating said exposed surface of said layer of polycrystalline silicon to a temperature in a range of 600° C. to 1100° C.;
• providing a gaseous mixture including nitrous oxide, ozone, at least one compound containing a halogen selected from the group consisting of Cl2, Br2, HCl and HBr, and steam, the gaseous mixture being substantially free of fluorine-containing gases;
• and
• subjecting said exposed surface of said layer of polycrystalline silicon to the gaseous mixture including nitrous oxide gas at a partial pressure and ozone gas at a partial pressure, the partial pressure of the ozone gas being at least one tenth the partial pressure of the nitrous oxide, for a period sufficient to form said field-effect transistor gate dielectric layer to the desired thickness.