Applied Materials, Inc.

Raghuveer Satya Makala

Christopher Sean Olsen

Zhijun Chen

Johanes F Swenberg

Chang Seok Kang

Hansel Lo

Fredrick Fishburn

Hao Zhang

Hoi-Sung Chung

Kristopher Mikael Koskela

A method for forming an oxide layer includes forming a protective interlayer oxide on sidewalls of a trench formed on a substrate, forming a silicon nitride layer on the protective interlayer oxide, by a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE ALD) process utilizing nitrogen-containing process gas, the silicon nitride layer having a concentration gradient of nitrogen varying from high concentration away from the protective interlayer oxide to low concentration near the protective interlayer oxide, and performing a conversion process to oxidize the formed silicon nitride layer to at least partially convert the formed silicon nitride layer to a silicon oxide layer.

Growth of thin oxide layer with silicon nitride and conversion

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Raghuveer Satya Makala