DIELECTRIC ENGINEERING FOR THE NINETIES

Material used to form dielectrics in silicon technology are currently changing, For example intermetal dielectrics need to have a low dielec tric constant and therefore a move away from conventional materials is occurring. DRAM's have an opposite requirement and for this reason me tal oxide dielectrics are being pursued with a longer term view of usi ng ferroelectric materials. The area of gate oxides is also one of rev iew and we show in this paper that dielectrics formed in a nitric oxid e ambient may be appropriate at least to the end of this century.