Thin oxynitride film metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors prepared by low-pressure rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition

Abstract
Thin silicon oxynitride (Si‐O‐N) films have been deposited using low‐pressure rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) with silane (SiH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) as the reactive gases. Metal‐oxide‐semiconductor transistor transconductance measurements showed decreasing peak g m values but improved high field degradation characteristics. This is consistent with previous work on thermally nitrided oxides and suggests that the films are perhaps under tensile stress. Hot carrier stress at maximum substrate current was performed with the Si‐O‐N films displaying larger threshold voltage shifts when compared to furnace SiO2 indicating the possible existence of hydrogen related traps.