Silicon oxynitrides provide dielectric materials with improved properties for further enhanced metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistors. Spatially resolved quantitative analysis of the elemental composition across the gate dielectric is required to optimize this ultrathin layer. So far, this has not been possible for cross-sectioned transistors. We have obtained spatially resolved atomic ratios of N, O and Si from such samples. Electron energy-loss spectra were recorded in a scanning transmission electron microscope and processed quantitatively by fitting a set of reference spectra to them. Deposition parameters and electrical transistor properties can thus be correlated with the N and O depth distributions in the oxynitride gate dielectric of processed transistors.

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