Patent ID: 8889516

Claim:
A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure, comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate having an oxide layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; removing the oxide layer to expose the surface of the semiconductor substrate by a chemical mechanical polishing process to leave a rough surface of the semiconductor substrate; after removing the oxide layer, performing a conditioning process to the rough surface to at least provide the semiconductor substrate with a significantly smooth surface to reduce deformation or defects of an insulating layer subsequently-formed on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the conditioning process includes a thermal annealing process on the semiconductor substrate using an inert gas consisting of argon, helium, and neon as a thermal annealing protective gas; after performing the conditioning process, growing the insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate with the significantly smooth surface, such that the insulating layer is formed with reduced deformation or defects compared with an insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate without being performed by the conditioning process; forming a high-K gate dielectric layer on a surface of the insulating layer; and forming a protective layer on a surface of the high-K gate dielectric layer.