Patent ID: 8298751

Claim:
A method of treating a metal oxide film of a metal gate device, the method comprising: following at least one process step to form the film, rinsing at least a portion of the film with alkaline water (having a basic compound therein) to remove residue, while dissolving a limited amount of said portion of the film such that the average thickness of said portion of the film is reduced by less than 1 angstrom, and wherein following the rinsing step: i) the alkaline water, including its basic compound, evaporates, thereby leaving no residue, wherein the alkaline water does not include nonvolatile solutes, and ii) said portion of the film is not rinsed in a non-alkaline aqueous solution, wherein the metal oxide includes an oxide selected from the group consisting of magnesium, barium, scandium, cerium, samarium, erbium, terbium, neodymium, lanthanum, and gallium oxides.