Applied Materials, Inc.
Treatments To Improve Device Performance

Abstract:

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes annealing a surface of a substrate in an ambient of hydrogen to smooth the surface, pre-cleaning the surface of the substrate, depositing a high-.kappa. dielectric layer on the pre-cleaned surface of the substrate, performing a re-oxidation process to thermally oxidize the surface of the substrate; performing a plasma nitridation process to insert nitrogen atoms in the deposited high-.kappa. dielectric layer, and performing a post-nitridation anneal process to passivate chemical bonds in the plasma nitridated high-.kappa. dielectric layer.