The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 28, 1998
Kenneth C Harvey, Dallas, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device wherein there is provided a partially fabricated semiconductor device having a Si/SiO.sub.2 interface in which all processing steps involving heating of the device to a temperature above the Si-hydrogen dissociation temperature for a sufficient time to cause at least substantial dissociation of hydrogen from silicon have been completed. The device is immersed in a deuterium ambient for a sufficient time to permit the device structure in the region of the Si/SiO.sub.2 interface to have an excess of deuterium atoms. The device is then heated to a temperature above the dissociation temperature of hydrogen-silicon bonds for a time sufficient to cause substantial dissociation of hydrogen and/or deuterium from Si in the region of the Si/SiO.sub.2 interface while the deuterium remains in the device structure at the Si and SiO.sub.2 interface. The temperature of the device is then lowered to below the hydrogen-silicon dissociation temperature; and fabrication of the device is completed in standard manner. The SiO.sub.2 is generally the gate oxide of an MOS transistor. The step of immersing is at a temperature of from about 400 degrees C. to about 450 degrees C. for at least 60 minutes. The step of heating is at a temperature of from about 500 to about 550 degrees C. for a period of from about 15 to about 30 minutes. The step of lowering the temperature is to ambient temperature of about 22 degrees C.