Patent ID: 7235502

Claim:
A semiconductor fabrication process for forming a gate dielectric structure overlying a semiconductor substrate, comprising: forming a transitional dielectric film overlying the semiconductor substrate, wherein a composition of the transitional dielectric film proximal to the semiconductor substrate differs from a composition of an upper surface of the transitional dielectric film, wherein the composition of the transitional dielectric film proximately to the substrate primarily comprises silicon and oxygen or silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen and wherein the composition of the transitional dielectric film proximal to the upper surface primarily comprises a metal element and oxygen or a metal element, oxygen, and nitrogen; and forming a high dielectric constant film overlying an upper surface of the transitional dielectric film, wherein the high dielectric constant film comprises a metal element and oxygen and wherein forming the transitional dielectric film comprises forming a plurality of transitional dielectric layers, wherein the composition of each transitional dielectric layer includes a higher concentration of the metal element and a lower concentration of silicon than an underlying transitional dielectric layer.