Atomic layer deposition of HfO2 and Al2O3 layers on 300 mm Si wafers for gate stack technology

In this study, the authors present results on the structural, chemical, and electrical characterization of HfO2 thin layers on 300 mm Si wafers. The layers were prepared by atomic layer deposition using a liquid delivery system technology for metal organic precursors, which allows an accurate control of the Hf precursor. After optimization of the deposition process with an alkylamide precursor for Hf and ozone chemistry, the growth of the SiOx interfacial layer between the HfO2 layer and the Si substrate could be minimized using TiN as metal gate. In addition, the authors studied the effect of Al2O3 interfacial layers on the properties of metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor resulting in a positive flat band voltage shift of up to similar to 300 mV according to the layer thickness. Gate stacks with equivalent oxide thicknesses around 1.1 nm showed leakage current densities as low as 1.1 x 10(-2) A/cm(2) at VFB of 1 V. In addition, the capacitance-voltage curves for thin HfO2 layers indicated a negligible hysteresis, below 10 mV, after a forming gas anneal when TiN was used as metal gate. (C) 2011 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3521374