Abstract
The two-step nitridation process of gate oxynitride in metal-oxide-semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) is utilized to demonstrate good electrical reliability in MOSFETs. The low temperature and short time of the second nitridation step can form a nitrogen pile-up at the poly-Si/oxynitride interface which leads to the reduction of detrimental species diffused from poly-Si to the oxynitride. This process reduces the plasma-charging damage even more as the charging effect is increased. Smaller characteristic degradation due to nitrogen pile-up at both sides of the gate oxynitride ensures better gate oxynitride integrity (GOI) in practical integration for ultra-large-scaled integration (ULSI) applications.