Abstract

This work investigated high permittivity hafnium based dielectric films for use in future generation metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) technologies. For the sub- 100 nm MOS structure, the conventional Si02 gate dielectric required is becoming too thin (

Two deposition processes were used for investigating hafnium oxide: A traditional reactive sputtering process using a hafnium target and oxygen along with a metal oxidation process in which hafnium metal was deposited and subsequently oxidized in a rapid thermal processor. The films and their interfacial layers were studied using transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering. Suppression of the interfacial layers was attempted by utilizing various pre-deposition cleaning processes, nitrogen incorporation, and multiple annealing conditions. Statistical analysis was performed on many film properties including: thickness and refractive index by ellipsometry, equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), relative permittivity (sr), total charge density (Nss) via capacitance-voltage analysis (C-V), oxide charge density (Qox) and interface trap charge density (DiT) from surface charge analysis, and breakdown strength vi and leakage current density from current-voltage analysis (I-V). Hafnium oxide was successfully integrated into an RIT sub-micron NMOS process, and operational 0.5 um transistors were fabricated and tested.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Dielectric films--Design and construction; Dielectric films--Testing; Metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors; Hafnium oxide; Thin films--Electric properties; Sputtering (Physics)

Publication Date

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Materials Science and Engineering (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Center for Materials Science and Engineering

Advisor

Santosh Kurinec

Advisor/Committee Member

Lynn Fuller

Advisor/Committee Member

Daniel Fullerton

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at TK7872.D53 .J34 2006

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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