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The feasibility of using ultrathin silicon nitride (SiNx) films, prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) method, as an ultrathin gate dielectric is reported. The effects of postdeposition treatments carried out using hydrogen (H2)-decomposed species or NH3-decomposed species formed by catalytic cracking of H2 and NH3 are also studied. A small hysteresis loop is seen in the C–V curve of as-deposited Cat-CVD SiNx films. The leakage current in the case of these films with equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 3 nm is slightly larger than that in the conventional thermal SiO2 films of similar EOT. However, it is found that the properties of Cat-CVD SiNx films are markedly improved by the postdeposition H2 or NH3 treatments, that is, the hysteresis loop disappears and the leakage current decreases by three orders of magnitude.

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