MOS CHARACTERISTICS OF ULTRATHIN NO-GROWN OXYNITRIDES

Abstract

In this paper, we report for the first time, the growth of high quality ultrathin oxynitrides formed by nitridation of SiO2 in nitric oxide (NO) ambient using in-situ rapid thermal processing (RTP). This process is highly self-limited compared with N2O oxidation of silicon. A significant improvement in the interface endurance and charge trapping properties, under constant current stress, compared to pure O-2-grown and N2O-grown oxides is observed. The NO growth process will have a great impact on future CMOS and EEPROM technologies.