METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PLASMA NITRIDATION OF GATE DIELECTRICS USING AMPLITUDE MODULATED RADIO-FREQUENCY ENERGY

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for a plasma nitridation process that does not cause excessive damage of a silicon dioxide layer and a silicon substrate with nitrogen ions.SOLUTION: Provided is a method and apparatus for forming a nitrided gate dielectric layer. The method includes generating a nitrogen-containing plasma in a processing chamber via a smooth-varying modulated RF power source to reduce electron temperature spike. Field effect transistor channel mobility and gate leakage current results are improved when the power source is smooth-varying modulated, as compared to square-wave modulated.