| CPC H01L 21/28202 (2013.01) [H01L 21/02181 (2013.01); H01L 21/02205 (2013.01); H01L 21/28185 (2013.01); H01L 21/28194 (2013.01); H01L 29/517 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |
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1. A method of forming a semiconductor structure, the method comprising:
annealing a silicon surface of a substrate in a hydrogen (H2) ambient at a temperature in a range of from 500° C. to 700° C. such that the hydrogen (H2) reacts with the silicon surface to form a smooth surface having hydrogen-silicon (H—Si) bonding termination;
followed by, in a processing system without breaking vacuum:
depositing a high-κ dielectric layer directly on the smooth surface, the high-κ dielectric layer having vacancies and defects when deposited;
performing a re-oxidation process through the high-κ dielectric layer in an ambient of oxygen (O2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and hydrogen (H2) at a temperature in a range of from 400° C. to 900° C. to thermally oxidize the smooth surface and form an oxide-containing interfacial layer on the silicon surface of the substrate at an interface with the high-κ dielectric layer, the oxide-containing interfacial layer having a thickness in a range of from 3 Å to 10 Å;
performing a plasma nitridation process at a temperature of about 0° C. to about 500° C. and for a time period in a range of from about 10 seconds to about 300 seconds to insert nitrogen atoms in the vacancies and defects of the high-κ dielectric layer to form a plasma nitridated high-κ dielectric layer; and
performing a post-nitridation anneal process to passivate chemical bonds in the plasma nitridated high-κ dielectric layer,
the depositing of the high-κ dielectric layer, the performing of the re-oxidation process, the performing of the plasma nitridation process, and the performing of the post-nitridation anneal process being performed in the processing system without breaking vacuum.
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