Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first conductive layer on the first insulating film; forming a second insulating film on the first conductive layer in a first processing chamber isolated from an outside; performing a modification process on the second insulating film in the first processing chamber, and unloading the semiconductor substrate from the first processing chamber to the outside; annealing the second insulating film in a second processing chamber; and forming a second conductive layer on the second insulating film.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first conductive layer on the first insulating film; forming a second insulating film on the first conductive layer in a first processing chamber isolated from an outside; performing a modification process on the second insulating film in the first processing chamber, and unloading the semiconductor substrate from the first processing chamber to the outside; annealing the second insulating film in a second processing chamber; and forming a second conductive layer on the second insulating film.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device manufacturing method includes forming a floating gate electrode above a semiconductor substrate, forming an interelectrode insulating film above the floating gate electrode, forming a first radical nitride film on a surface of the interelectrode insulating film by first radical nitriding, and forming a control gate electrode on the first radical nitride film.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate containing silicon, the first insulating film having a first dielectric constant and constituting a part of a tunnel insulating film, forming a floating gate electrode film on the first insulating film, the floating gate electrode film being formed of a semiconductor film containing silicon, patterning the floating gate electrode film, the first insulating film, and the semiconductor substrate to form a first structure having a first side surface, exposing the first structure to an atmosphere containing an oxidizing agent, oxidizing that part of the floating gate electrode film which corresponds to a boundary between the first insulating film and the floating gate electrode film using the oxidizing agent, to form a second insulating film having a second dielectric constant smaller than the first dielectric constant and constituting a part of the tunnel insulating film.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a gate portion formed by laminating a tunnel insulating film, floating gate electrode, inter-poly insulating film and control gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate, and source and drain regions formed on the substrate. The tunnel insulating film has a three-layered structure having a silicon nitride film sandwiched between silicon oxide films. The silicon nitride film is continuous in an in-plane direction and has 3-coordinate nitrogen bonds and at least one of second neighboring atoms of nitrogen is nitrogen.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device manufacturing method includes forming a floating gate electrode above a semiconductor substrate, forming an interelectrode insulating film above the floating gate electrode, forming a first radical nitride film on a surface of the interelectrode insulating film by first radical nitriding, and forming a control gate electrode on the first radical nitride film.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film, a source/drain diffusion layer formed in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the gate electrode, and a channel region formed in the semiconductor substrate between a source and a drain of the source/drain diffusion layer and arranged below the gate insulating film, wherein an upper surface of the source/drain diffusion layer is positioned below a bottom surface of the gate electrode, and an upper surface of the channel region is positioned below the upper surface of the source/drain diffusion layer.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first conductive layer on the first insulating film; forming a second insulating film on the first conductive layer in a first processing chamber isolated from an outside; performing a modification process on the second insulating film in the first processing chamber, and unloading the semiconductor substrate from the first processing chamber to the outside; annealing the second insulating film in a second processing chamber; and forming a second conductive layer on the second insulating film.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a conductive layer on the first insulating film; exposing the first insulating film by removing a portion of the conductive layer; forming a second insulating film on the exposed surface of the first insulating film in a first processing chamber isolated from an outside; performing a modification process on the second insulating film in the first processing chamber, and then unloading the semiconductor substrate from the first processing chamber to the outside; and annealing the second insulating film in a second processing chamber.