Abstract: A method of forming stress-tuned dielectric films having Si—N bonds on a semiconductor substrate by modified plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), includes: introducing a nitrogen-and hydrogen-containing reactive gas and an additive gas into a reaction space inside which a semiconductor substrate is placed; applying RF power to the reaction space using a high frequency RF power source and a low frequency RF power source; and introducing a hydrogen-containing silicon precursor in pulses into the reaction space wherein a plasma is excited, thereby forming a stress-tuned dielectric film having Si—N bonds on the substrate.

Abstract: A non-linear optical device for carrying out optical signal processing using a non-linear optical material having a biasing electric field perpendicularly applied to a semiconductor that is laminated to form a quantum well structure. A well layer of the quantum well structure has substantially the same thickness as the Bohr radius of an exciton, and the magnitude of the biasing electric field is selected so that the distance between centers of gravity of an electron and a hole, which constitute the exciton, is from a fraction of to substantially equal to the effective Bohr radius. The thickness and potential of a barrier layer of the quantum well structure is selected such that the increase in the width of the absorption peak of the exciton caused by ionization due to tunneling in the biasing electric field is smaller than the width of the absorption peak with no electric field, and the wavelength of light used to activate the device is selected such that the photon energy n.omega.