Applied Materials, Inc.

Isabelita Rolfox

Li-Qun Xia

Hichem M'Saad

Mihaela A Balseanu

Mei-Yee Shek

Vladimir Zubkov

Compressive stress in a film of a semiconductor device may be controlled utilizing one or more techniques, employed alone or in combination. A first set of embodiments increase silicon nitride compressive stress by adding hydrogen to the deposition chemistry, and reduce defects in a device fabricated with a high compressive stress silicon nitride film formed in the presence of hydrogen gas. A silicon nitride film may comprise an initiation layer formed in the absence of a hydrogen gas flow, underlying a high stress nitride layer formed in the presence of a hydrogen gas flow. A silicon nitride film formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may exhibit a compressive stress of 2.8 GPa or higher.

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Union City, CA, United States of America

Isabelita Rolfox