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Plasma-nitrided silicon-rich oxide as an extension to ultrathin nitrided oxide gate dielectrics

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1915523· OSTI ID:20702385
We have investigated the mechanism of N incorporation, during plasma nitridation, in thermally grown ultrathin (<2 nm) SiO{sub 2} films and deposited silicon-rich oxide films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates that N atoms exchange mainly with O to bond with Si atoms in ultrathin plasma-nitrided oxides. Based on this understanding, we were able to increase the amount of N that can be incorporated in plasma-nitrided silicon oxides by increasing the silicon content in these films. This was achieved by depositing ultrathin substoichiometric silicon-rich oxide films. We demonstrate an increase of almost twice as much N in these ultrathin plasma-nitrided silicon-rich oxide films yielding lower gate leakage current for a given thickness.
OSTI ID:
20702385
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 86; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English