OXIDATION OF SILICON NITRIDE FILMS IN SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

摘要

Disclosed is a method to convert a stable silicon nitride film (101)covering a silicon substrate (100) into a stable silicon oxide film (102) with a low content of residual nitrogen in the resulting silicon oxide film. This is achieved by performing the steps of (i)providing a low pressure environment for the silicon nitride fim of between about l.33 X10<4>Pa(100 Torr) to about 13.3 Pa (0.1 Torr);(ii)introducing hydrogen and oxygen into said low pressure environment; and iii maintaining said low pressure environment at a temperature of about 600°C to about 1200 C° for a predetermined amount of time. This is an unexpectedand unique property of the in situ steam generation process since both silicon nitride and silicon oxide materials are chemically very stable compounds. Application of the claimed method to the art of microelectronic device fabrication, such as fabrication of on-chip dielectric capacitors and metal insulator semiconductor field effect transistors, is also disclosed.