Patent ID: 9728401
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: H01J,H01L

Claim:
1. A method of treating a dielectric layer disposed on a substrate supported in a process chamber, comprising: (a) exposing the dielectric layer to an active radical species formed in a plasma for a first period of time while the substrate is maintained at a substrate temperature of less than about 800 degrees Celsius, wherein exposing the dielectric layer to the active radical species formed in the plasma further comprises forming the plasma from a process gas using a remote plasma source and providing the plasma to the process chamber, wherein the process gas comprises a mixture of about 20 percent nitrogen with the balance being oxygen; (b) heating the dielectric layer to a peak temperature of about 900 degrees Celsius to about 1200 degrees Celsius; and (c) maintaining the peak temperature for a second period of time of about 1 second to about 20 seconds.