Patent ID: 6875707

Claim:
A method of forming a capacitor dielectric layer comprising: forming a silicon nitride comprising layer over a substrate, the silicon nitride comprising layer having an upper surface; forming an outer silicon oxide comprising layer over the upper surface of the silicon nitride comprising layer, the outer silicon oxide comprising layer having an outermost portion and having an inner portion disposed between the outermost portion and the upper surface of the silicon nitride comprising layer; providing the substrate with the silicon nitride and the silicon oxide comprising layers within a plasma deposition chamber, the chamber comprising a substrate receiver and a powerable electrode spaced therefrom, the substrate being received by the receiver; providing a spacing between the receiver and the electrode of at least 0.1 inch, with the substrate being received on the receiver; injecting a nitrogen comprising gas to within the chamber; and generating a plasma effective to form an activated nitrogen species which diffuses into the outer silicon oxide comprising layer to form silicon nitride in only the outermost portion of the outer silicon oxide comprising layer.