Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a silicon nitride film on a semiconductor substrate; (b) ion-implanting oxygen into said silicon nitride film and by heat-treating said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film, thereby forming an oxygen-doped silicon nitride film having an oxygen-rich region that extends along an interface between said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film and said substrate; said oxygen-rich region being higher in oxygen concentration than a remainder of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; at least part of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film serving as a gate insulator film of a MISFET; (c) forming a gate electrode of said MISFET on said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; (d) selectively introducing a dopant into said substrate to form a pair of source/drain regions of said MISFET in said substrate at each side of said gate electrode; and (e) heat-treating said substrate to activate said dopant introduced into said substrate in said step (d).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a silicon nitride film on a semiconductor substrate; (b) ion-implanting oxygen into said silicon nitride film and by heat-treating said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film, thereby forming an oxygen-doped silicon nitride film having an oxygen-rich region that extends along an interface between said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film and said substrate; said oxygen-rich region being higher in oxygen concentration than a remainder of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; at least part of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film serving as a gate insulator film of a MISFET; (c) forming a gate electrode of said MISFET on said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; (d) selectively introducing a dopant into said substrate to form a pair of source/drain regions of said MISFET in said substrate at each side of said gate electrode; and (e) heat-treating said substrate to activate said dopant introduced into said substrate in said step (d).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat treatment of said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film is performed in an oxygen-containing atmosphere.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said heat treatment of said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film is performed at a temperature of 700 to 1100° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat treatment of said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film is performed in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said heat treatment of said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film is performed at a temperature of 700 to 1100° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said silicon nitride film is formed by thermally nitriding said substrate in an atmosphere containing one selected from the group consisting of NH 3 , NO, and NO 2 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said silicon nitride film in the step (a) has a thickness of 1 to 5 nm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film in the step (b) has a thickness of 1 to 5 nm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film in the step (b) is implanted using an acceleration voltage of about 20 keV.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a silicon nitride film on a semiconductor substrate; (b) plasma-doping oxygen into said silicon nitride film and heat-treating said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film, thereby forming an oxygen-doped silicon nitride film having an oxygen-rich region that extends along an interface between said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film and said substrate; said oxygen-rich region being higher in oxygen concentration than a remainder of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; wherein at least part of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film serves as a gate insulator film of a MISFET; (c) forming a gate electrode of said MISFET on said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; (d) selectively introducing a dopant into said substrate to form a pair of source/drain regions of said MISFET in said substrate at each side of said gate electrode; and (e) heat-treating said substrate to activate said dopant introduced into said substrate in said step (d).
Claim 12
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a silicon nitride film on a semiconductor substrate; (b) plasma-doping oxygen into said silicon nitride film and heat-treating said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film, thereby forming an oxygen-doped silicon nitride film having an oxygen-rich region that extends along an interface between said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film and said substrate; said oxygen-rich region being higher in oxygen concentration than a remainder of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; wherein at least part of said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film serves as a gate insulator film of a MISFET; (c) forming a gate electrode of said MISFET on said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film; (d) selectively introducing a dopant into said substrate to form a pair of source/drain regions of said MISFET in said substrate at each side of said gate electrode; and (e) heat-treating said substrate to activate said dopant introduced into said substrate in said step (d).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said heat treatment of said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film is performed in an atmosphere containing one selected from the group consisting of an oxygen gas and a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gases.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said heat treatment of said oxygen-implanted silicon nitride film is performed at a temperature of 700 to 1100° C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said silicon nitride film is formed by thermally nitriding said substrate in an atmosphere containing one selected from the group consisting of NH 3 , NO, and NO 2 .
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said silicon nitride film in the step (a) has a thickness of 1 to 5 nm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film in the step (b) has a thickness of 1 to 5 nm.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said oxygen-doped silicon nitride film in the step (b) is plasma-doped using a bias voltage of about -1.0 keV.