Abstract: A method of forming a silicate dielectric having superior electrical properties comprising forming a metal oxide layer on a Si-containing semiconductor material and reacting the metal oxide with the underlying Si-containing material in the presence of an oxidizing gas is provided. Semiconductor structures comprising the metal silicate formed over a SiO2 layer are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of measuring overlay error comprises forming a first mask having a first alignment array comprising a periodic pattern of first features having a first periodicity, forming a second mask having a second alignment array comprising a pattern of second features having the first periodicity, the first alignment array being adjacent the second alignment array, the first alignment array and the second alignment array forming a combined alignment array, transforming the combined alignment array to produce a transformed array, selecting a first region within the transformed array, inverse transforming the region to produce geometric phase shift information, averaging the phase shift information, converting the averaged phase shift information into a value for misalignment in a first direction corresponding to the first region, repeating the selecting, inverse transforming, averaging and converting using a second region within the transformed array to calculate a value for misalignment in a second direction c

Abstract: A method of forming a silicate dielectric having superior electrical properties comprising forming a metal oxide layer on a Si-containing semiconductor material and reacting the metal oxide with the underlying Si-containing material in the presence of an oxidizing gas is provided. Semiconductor structures comprising the metal silicate formed over a SiO2 layer are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of measuring overlay error comprises forming a first mask having a first alignment array comprising a periodic pattern of first features having a first periodicity, forming a second mask having a second alignment array comprising a pattern of second features having the first periodicity, the first alignment array being adjacent the second alignment array, the first alignment array and the second alignment array forming a combined alignment array, transforming the combined alignment array to produce a transformed array, selecting a first region within the transformed array, inverse transforming the region to produce geometric phase shift information, averaging the phase shift information, converting the averaged phase shift information into a value for misalignment in a first direction corresponding to the first region, repeating the selecting, inverse transforming, averaging and converting using a second region within the transformed array to calculate a value for misalignment in a second direction c