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Characterization of nitrided silicon-silicon dioxide interfaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

M. L. Polignano
Affiliation:
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
M. Alessandri
Affiliation:
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
D. Brazzelli
Affiliation:
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
B. Crivelli
Affiliation:
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
G. Ghidini
Affiliation:
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
R. Zonca
Affiliation:
20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
A. P. Caricato
Affiliation:
INFM-MDM, 20041 Agrate Brianza (MI) Italy
M. Bersani
Affiliation:
ITC-irst 38050 Povo (Trento) Italy
M. Sbetti
Affiliation:
ITC-irst 38050 Povo (Trento) Italy
L. Vanzetti
Affiliation:
ITC-irst 38050 Povo (Trento) Italy
G. C. Xing
Affiliation:
Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Ca USA
G.E. Miner
Affiliation:
Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Ca USA
N. Astici
Affiliation:
Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Ca USA
S. Kuppurao
Affiliation:
Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Ca USA
D. Lopes
Affiliation:
Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Ca USA
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Abstract

A newly-developed technique for the simultaneos characterization of the oxide-silicon interface properties and of bulk impurities was used for a systematic study of the nitridation process of thin oxides. This technique is based upon surface recombination velocity measurements, and does not require the formation of a capacitor structure, so it is very suitable for the characterization of as-grown interfaces.

Oxides grown both in dry and in wet enviroments were considered, and nitridation processes in N2O and in NO were compared to N2 annealing processes. The effect of nitridation temperature and duration were also studied, and RTO/RTN processes were compared to conventional furnace nitridation processes.

Surface recombination velocity was correlated with nitrogen concentration at the oxide-silicon interface obtained by Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements. Surface recombination velocity (hence surface state density) decreases with increasing nitrogen pile-up at the oxide-silicon interface, indicating that in nitrided interfaces surface state density is limited by nitridation. NO treatments are much more effective than N2O treatments in the formation of a nitrogen-rich interface layer and, as a consequence, in surface state reduction.

Surface state density was measured in fully processed wafers before and after constant current stress. After a complete device process surface states are annealed out by hydrogen passivation, however they are reactivated by the electrical stress, and surface state results after stress were compared with data of surface recombination velocity in as-processed wafers.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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