Abstract
A new technique to effectively anneal out the fixed charge and surface states in various MIS structures is presented. It involves an rf voltage and a low-pressure plasma environment, and employs a concept very different from the conventional thermal annealing. The experimental setup and the requirements pertinent to a successful anneal are described. Some experimental data are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of this new technique as compared with the conventional thermal anneal. The annealing mechanism is thought to be a plasma-assisted rf field effect aided by a moderate heating of the wafer.