Ultrathin nitrided SiO2/Si(001) films were studied using angle-resolved x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The structure of the oxynitride depended on the nitridation process. Under one type of nitridation the film kept the structure of the SiO2, with N assuming O sites. By taking advantage of the nonuniformity on the chemical depth profile, the Si 2p chemical shift was determined for those Si atoms bonded to three O and one N atom, and for those bonded to two O and two N atoms. The stoichiometry depth profile was recognized through a simple method that allowed the input of physical constrains.

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The incorporation of nitrogen into gate dielectrics produces a shift in the threshold voltage, , and its concentration must be precisely controlled to maintain the within a specified range. The sensitivity to nitrogen concentration is presented to define control limits for its incorporation. The nitrogen loss as a function of time between processing steps is determined to assess the risk in a manufacturing environment. A typical foundry fab is then modeled to determine the range and distribution of possible delay times and its impact on lot to lot variation in . This variability can then be removed by clustering the nitridation and post anneal steps.

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