Patent ID: 7517818

Claim:
A method for forming a dielectric layer of a semiconductor device, the method comprising: providing a germanium-containing substrate in a process chamber; generating a plasma from a process gas containing N 2 and a noble gas, and selecting the plasma conditions effective to form plasma excited N 2 species while suppressing formation of plasma excited N species; exposing the germanium-containing substrate to the plasma to form a nitrided germanium-containing layer on the germanium-containing substrate, wherein the nitrided germanium-containing layer comprises a germanium-containing oxynitride layer containing a greater amount of nitrogen species insoluble in H 2 O than nitrogen species soluble in H 2 O and a greater amount of oxygen species soluble in H 2 O than oxygen species insoluble in H 2 O; and exposing the germanium-containing oxynitride layer to liquid H 2 O or gaseous H 2 O to reduce the thickness and increase the nitrogen concentration of the germanium-containing oxynitride layer by removing at least a portion of the oxygen species soluble in H 2 O.