HYDROGEN AND PROCESSING DAMAGE IN CMOS DEVICE RELIABILITY - DEFECT PASSIVATION AND DEPASSIVATION DURING PLASMA EXPOSURES AND SUBSEQUENT ANNEALING

The interactions of hydrogen with plasma-charging induced defects have been examined using 0.5 mu m n-channel LDD MOSFETs fabricated on p-type Si by employing Cl-2/HBr-based chemistries and CHF3/CF4-based chemistries for the polycrystalline Si gate definition and contact etch, respectively. New experimental results are presented which provide evidence for the passivation and depassivation of defects in the gate oxide and at the oxide/Si interface by hydrogen.