Patent ID: 7585704

Claim:
A method of increasing the stress level of an as deposited stressor material comprising: forming an amorphous film stressor material on at least a surface of a substrate, said amorphous film stressor material having a tensile mechanical strain defining a stress value, and is selected from a hydrogen-containing nitride, a hydrogen-containing oxide, or a hydrogen-containing metal; and densifying the amorphous film stressor material such that the state of mechanical strain is not substantially altered, while increasing the stress value, said densifying forms an upper region having a thickness from about 0.5 to about 50 nm and a lower region in said amorphous film stressor material, said upper region having a higher density as compared to said lower region and said densifying comprises (i) radiation exposure, or (ii) plasma nitridation in the presence of a plasma including one of atomic nitrogen, molecular nitrogen, atomic nitrogen ions and combinations thereof.