What is provided is a transistor including a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, a semiconductor film, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, in which the gate insulating film is a laminated film in which a SiO.sub.x film and a SiC.sub.yN.sub.z film are alternately formed, the total number of films constituting the laminated film is 3 or more and 18 or less, and the thickness of each film constituting the laminated film is 25 nm or more and 150 nm or less.

A cutting tool includes: a substrate; a hard layer provided on the substrate; and a titanium carbonitride layer provided on the hard layer, wherein a thickness of the titanium carbonitride layer is more than or equal to 2 μm, a hardness of the titanium carbonitride layer at a room temperature is more than or equal to 35 GPa, and a Young's modulus of the titanium carbonitride layer at the room temperature is less than or equal to 650 GPa.

A cutting tool includes: a substrate; a hard layer provided on the substrate; and a titanium carbonitride layer provided on the hard layer, wherein a thickness of the titanium carbonitride layer is more than or equal to 2 μm, a hardness of the titanium carbonitride layer at a room temperature is more than or equal to 35 GPa, and a Young's modulus of the titanium carbonitride layer at the room temperature is less than or equal to 650 GPa.

There is provided a technique that includes forming a film on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a) supplying a precursor gas to the substrate in a process container of a substrate processing apparatus via a first pipe made of metal; (b) supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate in the process container via a second pipe made of metal, wherein a fluorine-containing layer is continuously formed on an inner surface of the second pipe; and (c) supplying a nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas to the substrate in the process container via the second pipe.

There is provided a technique that includes forming a film on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a) supplying a precursor gas to the substrate in a process container of a substrate processing apparatus via a first pipe made of metal; (b) supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate in the process container via a second pipe made of metal, wherein a fluorine-containing layer is continuously formed on an inner surface of the second pipe; and (c) supplying a nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas to the substrate in the process container via the second pipe.

There is provided a technique that includes (a) forming a first film having a first thickness on an underlayer by supplying a first process gas not including oxidizing gas to a substrate, wherein the first film contains silicon, carbon, and nitrogen and does not contain oxygen, and the underlayer is exposed on a surface of the substrate and is at least one selected from the group of a conductive metal-element-containing film and a nitride film; and (b) forming a second film having a second thickness larger than the first thickness on the first film by supplying a second process gas including oxidizing gas to the substrate, wherein the second film contains silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, and wherein in (b), oxygen atoms derived from the oxidizing gas and diffuse from a surface of the first film toward the underlayer are absorbed by the first film and the first film is modified.

There is provided a technique that includes (a) forming a first film having a first thickness on an underlayer by supplying a first process gas not including oxidizing gas to a substrate, wherein the first film contains silicon, carbon, and nitrogen and does not contain oxygen, and the underlayer is exposed on a surface of the substrate and is at least one selected from the group of a conductive metal-element-containing film and a nitride film; and (b) forming a second film having a second thickness larger than the first thickness on the first film by supplying a second process gas including oxidizing gas to the substrate, wherein the second film contains silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, and wherein in (b), oxygen atoms derived from the oxidizing gas and diffuse from a surface of the first film toward the underlayer are absorbed by the first film and the first film is modified.

The present invention is in the field of processes for the generation of thin inorganic films on substrates, in particular atomic layer deposition processes. It relates to a process for preparing metal- or semimetal-containing films comprising (a) depositing a metal- or semimetal-containing compound from the gaseous state onto a solid substrate and (b) bringing the solid substrate with the deposited metal- or semimetal-containing compound in contact with compound of general formula (II), (III), or (IV), wherein E is Ge or Sn, R is an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, R′ are an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, X is nothing, hydrogen, a halide, an alkyl group, an alkylene group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl oxy group, an amino group, or a amidinate group, or an guanidinate group, L is an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group. ##STR00001##

The present invention is in the field of processes for the generation of thin inorganic films on substrates, in particular atomic layer deposition processes. It relates to a process for preparing metal- or semimetal-containing films comprising (a) depositing a metal- or semimetal-containing compound from the gaseous state onto a solid substrate and (b) bringing the solid substrate with the deposited metal- or semimetal-containing compound in contact with compound of general formula (II), (III), or (IV), wherein E is Ge or Sn, R is an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, R′ are an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group, X is nothing, hydrogen, a halide, an alkyl group, an alkylene group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl oxy group, an amino group, or a amidinate group, or an guanidinate group, L is an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, or a silyl group. ##STR00001##

There is provided a technique that includes (a) forming a first film having a first thickness on an underlayer by supplying a first process gas not including oxidizing gas to a substrate, wherein the first film contains silicon, carbon, and nitrogen and does not contain oxygen, and the underlayer is exposed on a surface of the substrate and is at least one selected from the group of a conductive metal-element-containing film and a nitride film; and (b) forming a second film having a second thickness larger than the first thickness on the first film by supplying a second process gas including oxidizing gas to the substrate, wherein the second film contains silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, and wherein in (b), oxygen atoms derived from the oxidizing gas and diffuse from a surface of the first film toward the underlayer are absorbed by the first film and the first film is modified.