Patent 7985674 was granted and assigned to Spansion on July, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Prior to deposition of a silicon nitride (SiN) layer on a structure, a non-plasma enhanced operation is undertaken wherein the structure is exposed to silane (SiH4) flow, reducing the overall exposure of the structure to hydrogen radicals. This results in the silicon nitride being strongly bonded to the structure and in improved performance.