Patent ID: 8119210

Claim:
A method for depositing a capping layer on a dielectric layer, comprising: depositing the dielectric layer on a substrate by a first ALD process from a first group of gases, depositing the dielectric layer composing alternately pulsing a high-k precursor and a water formed oxidizing gas to the substrate surface, wherein the dielectric layer is a high-k layer; depositing a silicon-containing layer on the dielectric layer by an second ALD process from a second group of gases, depositing the silicon-containing layer comprising alternately pulsing a silicon precursor and an oxidizing gas into a process chamber, wherein the oxidizing gas comprises water formed by flowing a hydrogen-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas through a catalytic water vapor generator; exposing the silicon-containing layer to a nitridation process; and exposing the substrate to a anneal process.