摘要 |
A semiconductor device comprises a substrate (1), at least one active and/or passive element (2, 3) formed on or in the semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film (4, 9) located on the substrate, leading electrodes (5) of at least one said element, and a second insulating film (10) covering the at least one element. In order that the film is both resistant to moisture and transmits ultraviolet rays, it is formed of oxynitride having an oxygen concentration of 20 to 70%. The device is preferably an EPROM device. The invention also includes methods of forming passivation layers on these and other semiconductor devices. Preferred methods include contacting a substrate with ammonia and nitrous oxide at elevated temperature. One preferred method involves chemical vapour deposition, preferably plasma deposition, using monosilane as feed gas together with ammonia and nitrous oxide. Nitrogen may replace the ammonia and oxygen may replace the nitrous oxide. In another method, the surface passivation film is formed by reative sputtering using silicon as a target, ammonia or nitrogen together with oxygen or nitrous oxide. |