Semiconductor device having two-layered passivation film

Claim 2

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other; a gate electrode formed on a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film; an internal insulator film at least over the gate electrode; and a passivation film at least over the internal insulator film, the passivation film being comprised of a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer, the first passivation layer being composed of silicon dioxide and containing not more than 0.5 percent phosphorous by atomic weight, and the second passivation layer being composed of silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride.

Claim 3

A MOS semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the first passivation layer is formed at a temperature below 600° C.

Claim 4

A MOS semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the first passivation layer has a film thickness of not less than 1500 Å.

Claim 5

A MOS semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the second passivation layer has a hole for diffusing hydrogen.

Claim 6

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other; a gate electrode formed on a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film; an internal insulator film at least over the gate electrode; a field oxide layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the source and drain regions and the gate electrode; aluminum wirings disposed on the field oxide layer and connected electrically to the source and drain regions; and a passivation film disposed over the internal insulator film and the field oxide layer, the passivation film being comprised of a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer, the first passivation layer being composed of silicon dioxide formed at a temperature below 600° C. and the second passivation layer being composed of silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride, the second passivation layer having a hole to expose a part of the first passivation layer but leaving the aluminum wirings unexposed for diffusing externally through the exposed part of the first passivation layer hydrogen contained in the device.

Claim 7

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other; a gate electrode formed on a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film; an internal insulator film at least over the gate electrode; a field oxide layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the source and drain regions and the gate electrode; aluminum wirings disposed on the field oxide layer and connected electrically to the source and drain regions; and a passivation film disposed over the internal insulator film and the field oxide layer, the passivation film being comprised of a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer formed on the first passivation layer, the first passivation layer being composed of silicon dioxide formed at a temperature below 600° C. and the second passivation layer being composed of silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride, the second passivation layer having a hole to expose a part of the first passivation layer but leaving the aluminum wirings unexposed for diffusing externally through the exposed part of the first passivation layer hydrogen contained in the device.

Claim 8

A MOS semiconductor device as claimed in claim 5; wherein the first passivation layer contains not more than 0.5 percent phosphorous by atomic weight and has a film thickness of not less than 1500 Å.

Claim 9

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other; a gate electrode formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film; another insulator film extending over at least the gate electrode; and a passivation film extending over at least the another insulator film, the passivation film comprising an outer layer composed of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride for preventing invasion of foreign substances into the device but ineffective to prevent invasion of hydrogen when the device is exposed to an aqueous vapor atmosphere, and an inner layer composed to silicon dioxide disposed beneath the outer layer and containing not more than 0.5 atomic weight percent of phosphorous effective to absorb hydrogen that diffuses inwardly from the outer layer.

Claim 10

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from each other; a gate electrode formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film; another insulator film extending over at least the gate electrode; and a passivation film extending over at least the another insulator film, the passivation film comprising an outer layer composed of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride for preventing invasion of foreign substances into the device but ineffective to prevent invasion of hydrogen when the device is exposed to an aqueous vapor atmosphere, and an inner layer composed to silicon dioxide disposed beneath the outer layer and containing not more than 0.5 atomic weight percent of phosphorous effective to absorb hydrogen that diffuses inwardly from the outer layer.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 7; wherein the inner layer has a thickness of at least 1500 Å.

Claim 12

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from: each other; a gate electrode formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film, the gate insulator film containing diffused hydrogen; another insulator film extending over at least the gate electrode; a field oxide layer formed on the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the source and drain regions; conductors extending along the field oxide layer and electrically connected to respective ones of the source and drain regions; and a passivation film extending over the another insulator film, the conductors and the field oxide layer, the passivation film comprising an outer layer composed of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride for preventing invasion of foreign substances into the device, and an inner layer composed of silicon dioxide disposed beneath the outer layer and containing not more than 0.5 atomic weight percent of phosphorous effective to absorb hydrogen diffused in the gate insulator film, the outer layer having an opening therein to expose a part of the inner layer, the opening being laterally spaced from the source and drain regions and the gate electrode and being effective to permit hydrogen absorbed in the inner layer to be released from the device through the opening.

Claim 13

A MOS semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; source and drain regions of a second conductivity type formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from: each other; a gate electrode formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions through a gate insulator film, the gate insulator film containing diffused hydrogen; another insulator film extending over at least the gate electrode; a field oxide layer formed on the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the source and drain regions; conductors extending along the field oxide layer and electrically connected to respective ones of the source and drain regions; and a passivation film extending over the another insulator film, the conductors and the field oxide layer, the passivation film comprising an outer layer composed of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride for preventing invasion of foreign substances into the device, and an inner layer composed of silicon dioxide disposed beneath the outer layer and containing not more than 0.5 atomic weight percent of phosphorous effective to absorb hydrogen diffused in the gate insulator film, the outer layer having an opening therein to expose a part of the inner layer, the opening being laterally spaced from the source and drain regions and the gate electrode and being effective to permit hydrogen absorbed in the inner layer to be released from the device through the opening.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 9, wherein the conductors are composed of aluminum.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 9; wherein the inner layer has a thickness of at least 1500 Å.