Methods for reoxidizing an oxide and for fabricating semiconductor devices
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsLi Li, Pai-Hung Pan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Oxidation methods and resulting structures including providing an oxide layer on a substrate and then reoxidizing the oxide layer by vertical ion bombardment of the oxide layer in an atmosphere containing at least one oxidant. The oxide layer may be provided over diffusion regions, such as source and drain regions, in a substrate. The oxide layer may overlie the substrate and is proximate a gate structure on the substrate. The at least one oxidant may be oxygen, water, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide, or a mixture thereof. These oxidation methods provide a low-temperature oxidation process, less oxidation of the sidewalls of conductive layers in the gate structure, and less current leakage to the substrate from the gate structure.
Claims20
A method for reoxidizing an oxide, comprising:
- forming at least one gate structure on a semiconductor substrate;
- and
- bombarding at least some oxygen atoms of the at least one gate structure with at least one ion of an inert atom in an atmosphere consisting essentially of at least one oxidant, a source for the at least one ion of the inert atom, and a flow of hydrogen, the at least some oxygen atoms being in proximity to an oxide over the substrate, a concentration of the flow of hydrogen selected to inhibit oxide growth on sidewalls of the at least one gate structure on the substrate.
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- fabricating at least one gate structure on a semiconductor substrate with sidewalls of the at least one gate structure laterally adjacent to at least one oxide region on the semiconductor substrate;
- forming at least one diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate, beneath the at least one oxide region;
- and
- bombarding oxygen over the at least one diffusion region and laterally adjacent to the at least one gate structure with at least one ion of an inert atom in an atmosphere comprising at least one oxidant.
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
- forming at least one gate structure on a semiconductor substrate and protruding from at least one oxide material over source and drain regions of the semiconductor substrate;
- forming sidewall spacers on the at least one gate structure;
- and
- before forming the sidewall spacers, bombarding the at least one oxide material with ions to increase a thickness of the at least one oxide material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.