Highly reliable polysilicon oxide grown by electron cyclotron resonance nitrous oxide plasma

Highly reliable inter-polysilicon oxide (polyoxide) for nonvolatile memory applications has been achieved using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) N/sub 2/O-plasma. It is demonstrated that the N/sub 2/O-plasma polyoxide grown on doped poly-Si has a low leakage current and high breakdown field due to a smooth polyoxide/poly-Si interface and nitrogen incorporation during oxidation. Moreover, the polyoxide has much less electron trapping and over one order larger charge-to-breakdown (Q/sub bd/) up to 10 C/cm/sup 2/ than thermal polyoxide. The N/sub 2/O-plasma polyoxide can be a good choice for the interpoly dielectric of nonvolatile memories.