A semiconductor device including an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure having a multi-layer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method involves: (i) forming a first oxide layer of the ONO structure; (ii) forming a multi-layer charge storing layer comprising nitride on a surface of the first oxide layer; and (iii) forming a second oxide layer of the ONO structure on a surface of the multi-layer charge storing layer. Preferably, the charge storing layer comprises at least two silicon oxynitride layers having differing stoichiometric compositions of Oxygen, Nitrogen and/or Silicon. More preferably, the ONO structure is part of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) structure and the semiconductor device is a SONOS memory transistor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

An object of the present invention is to apply an insulating film of cure and high quality that is suitably applicable as gate insulating film and protective film to a technique that the insulating film is formed on the glass substrate under a temperature of strain point or lower, and to a semiconductor device realizing high efficiency and high reliability by using it. In a semiconductor device of the present invention, a gate insulating film of a field effect type transistor with channel length of from 0.35 to 2.5 μm in which a silicon nitride film is formed over a crystalline semiconductor film through a silicon oxide film, wherein the silicon nitride film contains hydrogen with the concentration of 1×10.sup.21/cm.sup.3 or less and has characteristic of an etching rate of 10 nm/min or less with respect to mixed solution containing an ammonium hydrogen fluoride (NH.sub.4HF.sub.2) of 7.13% and an ammonium fluoride (NH.sub.4F) of 15.4%.

An object of the present invention is to prevent the deterioration of a TFT (thin film transistor). The deterioration of the TFT by a BT test is prevented by forming a silicon oxide nitride film between the semiconductor layer of the TFT and a substrate, wherein the silicon oxide nitride film ranges from 0.3 to 1.6 in a ratio of the concentration of N to the concentration of Si.

A method of forming a high k gate stack on a surface of a III-V compound semiconductor, such GaAs, is provided. The method includes subjecting a III-V compound semiconductor material to a precleaning process which removes native oxides from a surface of the III-V compound semiconductor material; forming a semiconductor, e.g., amorphous Si, layer in-situ on the cleaned surface of the III-V compound semiconductor material; and forming a dielectric material having a dielectric constant that is greater than silicon dioxide on the semiconducting layer. In some embodiments, the semiconducting layer is partially or completely converted into a layer including at least a surface layer that is comprised of AO.sub.xN.sub.y prior to forming the dielectric material. In accordance with the present invention, A is a semiconducting material, preferably Si, x is 0 to 1, y is 0 to 1 and x and y are both not zero.

A semiconductor device including an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure having a multi-layer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method involves: (i) forming a first oxide layer of the ONO structure; (ii) forming a multi-layer charge storing layer comprising nitride on a surface of the first oxide layer; and (iii) forming a second oxide layer of the ONO structure on a surface of the multi-layer charge storing layer. Preferably, the charge storing layer comprises at least two silicon oxynitride layers having differing stochiometric compositions of Oxygen, Nitrogen and/or Silicon. More preferably, the ONO structure is part of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) structure and the semiconductor device is a SONOS memory transistor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

A semiconductor device including an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure having a multi-layer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method involves: (i) forming a first oxide layer of the ONO structure; (ii) forming a multi-layer charge storing layer comprising nitride on a surface of the first oxide layer; and (iii) forming a second oxide layer of the ONO structure on a surface of the multi-layer charge storing layer. Preferably, the charge storing layer comprises at least two silicon oxynitride layers having differing stochiometric compositions of Oxygen, Nitrogen and/or Silicon. More preferably, the ONO structure is part of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) structure and the semiconductor device is a SONOS memory transistor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a substrate, forming an interfacial layer on the substrate by treating the substrate with radicals, and forming a high-k dielectric layer on the interfacial layer. The radicals are selected from the group consisting of hydrous radicals, nitrogen/hydrogen radicals, and sulfur/hydrogen radicals.

It is made possible to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that has a high-quality insulating film in which defects are not easily formed, and experiences less leakage current. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: forming an amorphous silicon layer on an insulating layer; introducing oxygen into the amorphous silicon layer; and forming a silicon oxynitride layer by nitriding the amorphous silicon layer having oxygen introduced thereinto.

A semiconductor device including an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure having a multi-layer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method involves: (i) forming a first oxide layer of the ONO structure; (ii) forming a multi-layer charge storing layer comprising nitride on a surface of the first oxide layer; and (iii) forming a second oxide layer of the ONO structure on a surface of the multi-layer charge storing layer. Preferably, the charge storing layer comprises at least two silicon oxynitride layers having differing stoichiometric compositions of Oxygen, Nitrogen and/or Silicon. More preferably, the ONO structure is part of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) structure and the semiconductor device is a SONOS memory transistor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.