Semiconductor device fabrication method

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method comprising: forming a first insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a conductive layer on the first insulating film; exposing the first insulating film by removing a portion of the conductive layer; forming a second insulating film on the exposed surface of the first insulating film in a first processing chamber isolated from an outside; performing a modification process on the second insulating film in the first processing chamber, and then unloading the semiconductor substrate from the first processing chamber to the outside; and annealing the second insulating film in a second processing chamber.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A semiconductor device fabrication method comprising:
 forming a gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film;   forming a source region and drain region by ion-implanting a predetermined impurity into a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate by using the gate electrode as a mask;   forming an insulating film on the semiconductor substrate and gate electrode in a first processing chamber isolated from an outside;   performing an oxygen radical process using oxygen radical generated by changing a gas containing oxygen into a plasma, a nitrogen radical process using nitrogen radical generated by changing a gas containing nitrogen into a plasma, or an oxygen radical and nitrogen radical process using oxygen radical and nitrogen radical generated by changing a gas containing oxygen and nitrogen into a plasma as a modification process on the insulating film in the first process chamber to prevent the insulating film from absorbing water when the semiconductor substrate is exposed to the outside atmosphere, and then unloading the semiconductor substrate from the first processing chamber to the outside atmosphere; and   annealing the insulating film in a second processing chamber.   
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the insulating film contains silicon and oxygen, or silicon and nitrogen. 
   
   
       19 . (canceled)