Trends of structural and electrical properties in atomic layer deposited HfO2 films

Understanding and optimizing electrical and structural properties of high-kappa oxides are key steps in view of their application as SiO2 substitutes in CMOS devices. In this work, we address the effects of growth temperature (T-g,) post-deposition annealing and substrate preparation on the structural, compositional, and electrical properties of thin films (approximate to13 nm thick), deposited on p-type Si(1 0 0)/SiO2 (chemical oxide) by atomic layer deposition (ALD). In particular, we investigate the effects of: (1) different T-g (150, 250 and 350 degreesC); (2) rapid thermal annealing at 950 degreesC in N-2 for 60 s; and (3) substrate in situ heat treatment before growth and longer pulses at the beginning of the deposition. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.