Methods and devices are described for an insulated dielectric interface between a high-k material and silicon for improving electrical characteristics of devices. A method includes forming an oxide layer on a silicon substrate using an in situ steam generation process, etching the oxide layer to form a reduced thickness oxide layer of less than 10 Angstroms, and annealing the reduced thickness oxide layer with ammonia. A semiconductor wafer comprises a silicon substrate, an oxide layer coupled to the silicon substrate where the oxide layer having a thickness of less than 10 Angstroms, and a high-k dielectric material deposited onto the oxide layer.