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A process for forming silicon nitride layers on silicon substrates which includes initially heating the silicon substrates in a rapid thermal processor and in a substantially oxygen-free and residual moisture free environment to form a thin Si3N4 layer directly on the silicon surface which is free o

A process for forming silicon nitride layers on silicon substrates which includes initially heating the silicon substrates in a rapid thermal processor and in a substantially oxygen-free and residual moisture free environment to form a thin Si3N4 layer directly on the silicon surface which is free of any measurable native SiO2 thereon. Then, the nitridized wafers are transferred into a conventional nitride furnace where the thin Si3N4 layers may be increased in thickness by a desired amount. Typically, the initial or first Si3N4 layer thickness will be about 10-30 angstroms and the second Si3N4 layer will be on the order of 80 angstroms or more to form a composite Si3N4 layer of about 100-150 angstroms in total thickness. This novel process and the high dielectric constant integrated circuit capacitors produced thereby are highly useful in the manufacture of certain very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) components such as dynamic random access memories and the like.

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A process for forming a silicon nitride, Si3N4, dielectric layer on the surface of a silicon substrate while substantially eliminating the formation of a native silicon oxide or silicon dioxide on the silicon substrate surface, which includes the steps of: a. cleaning said surface of said silicon su

A process for forming a silicon nitride, Si3N4, dielectric layer on the surface of a silicon substrate while substantially eliminating the formation of a native silicon oxide or silicon dioxide on the silicon substrate surface, which includes the steps of: a. cleaning said surface of said silicon substrate to remove any native oxide thereon, b. inserting the cleaned silicon substrate into a rapid thermal processing chamber which is cooled down to a predetermined low initial temperature and flushed to remove substantially all oxygen molecules and residual moisture therefrom, and c. heating said rapid thermal processing chamber to a predetermined elevated temperature within a predetermined time in the presence of a nitrogen-containing reactant gas to thereby thermally decompose said nitrogen-containing reactant gas and form a thin layer of silicon nitride on the surface of said substrate.