Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structures including gradient nitrided buried oxide (BOX)

A method for fabricating a semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising:

• nitriding, while using a thermal nitriding method, an oxide layer located upon a base semiconductor substrate to provide a nitrided oxide layer having a first nitrogen gradient that peaks at an interface of the nitrided oxide layer with the base semiconductor substrate, said thermal nitriding method uses a nitriding material selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen nitriding material, a nitric oxide nitriding material and a nitrous oxide nitriding material and a thermal diffusion temperature from about 500 to about 1350 degrees centigrade;
• nitriding, while using a plasma nitriding method, the nitrided oxide layer to provide a twice nitrided oxide layer having a second nitrogen gradient that peaks at the exposed surface of the twice nitrided oxide layer, said plasma nitriding method uses a nitriding material selected from the group consisting of a nitrogen nitriding material, a nitric oxide nitriding material and a nitrous oxide nitriding material;
• and
• laminating a surface semiconductor layer upon the twice nitrided oxide layer to contact the second nitrogen gradient, wherein first nitrogen gradient and the second nitrogen gradient has a depth from about 20 to about 1000 angstroms within the twice nitrided oxide layer.