Importance

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Abstract

A semiconductor processing method of reducing thickness depletion of a nitride layer at a junction of different underlying layers includes, a) providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a first material and a second material, the first and second materials joining at a surface junction, the first and second materials being different from one another; b) exposing the substrate to a nitrogen containing gas under pressure and elevated temperature conditions effective to nitridize an outer portion of both the first and second materials with the nitrogen containing gas to provide a nitrogen containing nucleation layer at the outer portion of both of the first and second materials over the surface junction; and c) chemical vapor depositing a nitride layer atop the nucleation layer over the first and second materials and the surface junction. Preferably, the first material is electrically conductive and the second material is electrically insulative, with doped polysilicon and silicon dioxide being respective examples. An example deposited nitride layer is Si.sub.3 N.sub.4.

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First Claim