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 (α) are increased during ECR-SiO₂ deposition. Degradation does not occur when α⩾0.69. The Si-H bond concentration in ECR-SiO₂ film increases as α increases. In water-containing SOG film covered with ECR-SiO₂, the amount of petrology desorbed increases as α 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 H-O in ECR-SiO₂