Annealing of silicon oxynitride and silicon nitride films to eliminate high temperature charge loss

This invention includes a semiconductor device having a gate formed on a semiconductor substrate with a low hydrogen content etch stop or barrier layer formed over the gate, and methods for manufacturing a semiconductor device with an etch stop or barrier layer with low free hydrogen content. The semiconductor device may have a hydrogen getter layer formed between the gate and the etch stop or barrier layer. The etch stop or barrier layer is a high temperature PECVD nitride film, a high temperature PECVD oxynitride film or a high temperature LPCVD nitride film. The hydrogen getter layer is P-doped film having a thickness between about 500 ANGSTROM and about 2000 ANGSTROM and is a PSG, BPSG, PTEOS deposited oxide film, or a BPTEOS deposited oxide film. The low free hydrogen content of the etch stop layer or barrier layer is achieved by a high temperature annealing step, performed at a higher temperature than the deposition temperature of the etch stop or barrier layer. Specific uses of the etch stop or barrier layers include manufacture of electrical contacts and local interconnects.