QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF LOW-PRESSURE CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITED OXIDE BYN2O NITRIDATION

Quality of low-pressure chemical-vapor-deposited (LPCVD) oxide and N2O -nitrided LPCVD (LN2ON) oxide is investigated under high-field stress conditions as compared to thermal oxide. It is found that LPCVD oxide has lower midgap interface-state density D-it-m and smaller stress-ind uced D-it-m increase than thermal oxide, but exhibits enhanced electro n trapping rate and degraded charge-to-breakdown characteristics, whic h, however, are significantly suppressed in LN2ON oxide, suggesting ef fective elimination of hydrogen-related species. Moreover, LN2ON oxide shows further improved Si/SiO2 interface due to interfacial nitrogen incorporation. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.