Method of fabricating a semiconductor device with a dielectric film using a wet oxidation with steam process

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:

• depositing an oxygen-deficient dielectric film having a dielectric constant of at least about 25 over a semiconductor substrate;
• subjecting the dielectric film to a densifying treatment to stabilize said film by heating said semiconductor substrate;
• and
• subjecting the stabilized dielectric film to a wet oxidation with steam process provided by heating a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gases in a rapid thermal process chamber at a temperature of at least about 450° C. to form steam within said rapid thermal process chamber.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:

• depositing an oxygen-deficient dielectric film having a dielectric constant of at least about 25 over a semiconductor substrate;
• subjecting the dielectric film to a densifying treatment to stabilize said film by heating said semiconductor substrate;
• subjecting the stabilized dielectric film to a wet oxidation with steam process provided by heating and combining a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gases in a rapid thermal process chamber at a temperature of at least about 450° C., wherein said mixture is provided in a ratio from about 0.1 to about 0.80 of hydrogen to oxygen gas being combined in said rapid thermal process chamber having a pressure of around 1 millitorr;
• and
• subjecting the dielectric film to a second heat treatment in an ambient comprising a stabilizing gas selected from the group consisting of N2, O2, O3, NO, and N2O.