Patent ID: 8362596
Filing Date: 2013-01-29
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A dielectric cap comprising, from bottom to top: a first dielectric layer comprising a nitrogen-containing material having a first thickness and a first compressive stress which is disposed under conditions that cause no damage to an underlying material and wherein said first dielectric layer is a non-high density plasma nitride layer and is a bottommost layer of said dielectric cap; a second dielectric layer having a second thickness and a second compressive stress located on the first dielectric layer, wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness and the second compressive stress is greater than the first compressive stress; and a third dielectric layer having a third thickness and a dielectric constant of less than 3.5 located on the second dielectric layer, and wherein the third thickness is greater than the sum of the first thickness and the second thickness, wherein the entire dielectric cap has an intrinsic compressive stress.