Deposition rates of undoped silicate glass dielectric layers on thermal oxide are increased by pre-treating the thermal oxide layer With electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet (UV) and/or vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) Wavelengths. The surface smoothness of the resulting ?lms are also increased by pre-treating ?lms With UV and/or VUV radiation. Furthermore, the gap ?lling abilities of the undoped silicate glass ?lms are increased by pre-treating the thermal oxide With UV and/or VUV radiation. NeW equipment and meth ods are presented for exposing semiconductor devices to UV and/or VUV radiation, and for enhancing the deposition rates and ?lm quality for semiconductor manufacture. Semi conductor devices incorporating the neW methods are also described.
Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan, Khan A., and Foggiato G. A., “Surface Modification of Semiconductors using Electromagnetic Radiation (Granted)”, U.S. Patent 60157592000.