IMPROVEMENT OF WATER-RELATED HOT-CARRIER RELIABILITY BY USING ECR PLASMA-SIO2

Water-related hot-carrier degradation is reduced by using ECR plasma-SiO2 as the water-blocking layer under the water-containing films such as SOG or TEOS-O3. A water-blocking mechanism is proposed, based upon the reaction between Si-H bonds and H2O in ECR-SiO2 film. Hot-carrier degradation is reduced as SiH4/O2 gas flow ratios (alpha) are increased during ECR-SiO2 deposition. Degradation does not occur when alpha > 0.69. The Si-H bond concentration in ECR-SiO2 film increases as alpha increases. In water-containing SOG film covered with ECR-SiO2, the amount of hydrogen desorbed increases as alpha increases, while the amount of water desorbed decreases. These results confirm that the water-blocking ability of ECR-SiO2 is caused by water decomposition resulting from the reaction between Si-H bonds and H2O in ECR-SiO2.