Skip to main content

Strain-Relief at Internal Dielectric Interfaces in High-k Gate Stacks with Transition Metal and Rare Earth Atom Oxide Dielectrics

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Rare Earth Oxide Thin Films

Part of the book series: Topics in Applied Physics ((TAP,volume 106))

  • 1854 Accesses

Abstract

This Chapter addresses the effects of bonding discontinuities at the internal dielectric interfaces in gate stacks that include transition metal and rare earth atom elemental and complex oxides, as well as transition metal silicate alloys. The focus is on the strain-induced defects, and the reduction of defect densities through strain-driven self-organizations that take place during high-temperature post-deposition annealing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (2003 ed.)

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Wilk, R. W. Wallace, J. M. Anthony: High-κ gate dielectrics: Current status and materials properties considerations, J. Appl. Phys. 89, 5243 (2001) and references therein

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • L. C. Feldman, L. Stensgard, P. J. Silverman, T. E. Jackman: in S. T. Pantelides (Ed.): Proceedings of the International Conference on the Physics of SiO 2 and its interfaces (Pergamon, New York 1978) p. 344

    Google Scholar 

  • D. E. Aspnes, J. B. Theeten: Optical properties of the interface between Siand its thermally grown oxide, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 1046 (1979)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • F. T. Himpsel, F. R. McFeely, J. A. Yarmoff, G. Hollinger: Microscopic structure of the SiO2/Si interface, Phys. Rev. B 38, 6084 (1988)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • T. Yasuda, Y. Ma, S. Habermehl, G. Lucovsky: Low-temperature preparation SiO2/Si(100) interface using a two-step remote plasma-assisted oxidation-deposition process, Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 434 (1992)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky, J. C. Phillips: Interfacial strain-induced self-organization in semiconductor dielectric gate stacks. I. Strain relief at the Si–SiO2 interface, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 22, 2087 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Y. Tu, J. Tersoff: Structure and energetics of the Si-SiO2 interface, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2449 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Bongiorno, A. Pasquarello: Atomistic structure of the Si(100)–SiO2 interface: A synthesis of experimental data, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 1417 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D. A. Muller, T. Sorsch, S. Moccio, F. H. Baumann, K. Evans-Lutterodt, G. Timp: The electronic structure at the atomic scale of ultrathin gate oxides, Nature 399, 758 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. W. Keister, J. E. Rowe, J. J. Kolodziej, H. Niimi, H. S. Tao, T. E. Madey, G. Lucovsky: Band offsets for ultrathin SiO2 and Si3N4 films on Si(111) and Si(100) from photoemission spectroscopy, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 17, 1250 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. T. Fitch, C. H. Bjorkman, G. Lucovsky, F. H. Pollak, X. Yim: J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 7, 775 (1988)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. H. Poindexter, P. Caplan, B. Deal, R. Razouk: Interface states and electron spin resonance centers in thermally oxidized (111) and (100) silicon wafers, J. Appl. Phys. 52, 879 (1981)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • E. H. Poindexter: MOS interface states: Overview and physicochemical perspective, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 4, 961 (1989)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. C. Phillips: Topology of covalent non-crystalline solids. I. Short-range order in chalcogenide alloys, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 34, 153 (1979)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. C. Phillips: Topology of covalent non-crystalline solids. II. Medium-range order in chalcogenide alloys and A-Si(Ge), J. Non-Cryst. Solids 43, 37 (1981)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky, H. Yang, H. Niimi, J. W. Keister, J. E. Rowe, M. F. Thorpe, J. C. Phillips: Intrinsic limitation on device performance and reliability from bond-constraint induced transition region at interfaces of stacked dielectrics, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18, 1742 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky, Y. Wu, H. Niimi, V. Misra, J. C. Phillips: Bonding constraints and defect formation at interfaces between crystalline silicon and adanced single layer and composite gate dielectrics, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 2005 (1999)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • C. H. Bjorkman, T. Yasuda, C. E. Shearon, Jr., U. Emmerichs, C. Meyer, K. Leo, H. Kurz: Influence of surface roughness on the electrical properties of Si–SiO2 interfaces and on second-harmonic generation at these interfaces, Vac. Sci. Technol. B 11, 1521 (1993)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Luepke: Surf. Sci. Rep. 35, 75 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C. H. Bjorkman, C. E. Shearon, Jr., Y. Ma, T. Yasuda, G. Lucovsky, U. Emmerichs, C. Meyer, K. Leo, H. Kurz: Second-harmonic generation in Si–SiO2 heterostructure formed by chemical, thermal, and plasma-assisted oxidation and deposition processes, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 11, 964 (1993)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • U. Emmerichs, C. Meyer, H. J. Bakker, F. Wolter, H. Kurz, G. Lucovsky, C. H. Bjorkman, T. Yasuda, Y. Ma, Z. Jing, J. L. Whitten: Optical second harmomic generation: A probe of atomic structure and bonding at Si–SiO2 interfaces, and other chemically modified Si surfaces, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 12, 2484 (1994)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. Schafer, A. P. Young, L. J. Brillson, H. Niimi, G. Lucovsky: Depth-dependent spectroscopy defect characterization of the interface between plasma-deposited SiO2 and silicon, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 791 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J.-F. T. Wang, G. D. Powell, R. S. Johnson, G. Lucovsky, D. E. Aspnes: J. simplified bond-hyperpolarizability model of second harmonic generation: Application to Si-dielectric interfaces, Vac. Sci. Technol. B 20, 1699 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • H. Yang, H. Niimi, J. W. Keister, G. Lucovsky: IEEE Electron. Dev. Lett. 21, 76 (2000)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R. Carius, R. Fischer, F. Holzenkampfer, J. Stuke: Photoluminescence in the amorphous SiOx, J. Appl. Phys. 52, 4241 (1981)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • B. J. Hinds, F. Wang, D. M. Wolfe, C. L. Hinkle, G. Lucovsky: Investigation of postoxidation thermal treatments of Si/SiO2 interface in relationship to the kinetics of amorphous Si suboxide decomposition, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 16, 2171 (1998)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. Neuefeind, K. D. Liss: Bond angle distribution in amorphous germania and silica, Ber. Bunsen Phys. Chem. 100, 1341 (1996)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. L. Whitten, Y. Zhang, M. Menon, G. Lucovsky: Electronic structure of SiO2: Charge redistribution contribution to the dynamic dipoles/effective charges of the infrared active normal modes, J. Vac. Sci. Techol. B 20, 1710 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. R. Hauser: Extraction of experimental mobility data for MOS devices, IEEE Trans. Electron. Dev. 43, 1981 (1996)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • P. Boolchand: in P. Boolchand (Ed.): Insulating and Semiconducting Glasses (World Scientific, Singapore 2000) p. 191

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Boolchand, D. G. Georgiev, M. Micoulaut: J. Optoelectron. and Adv. Mater. 4, 823 (2002)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky, J. C. Phillips: Microscopic bonding and macroscopy strain relaxations at Si–SiO2 interfaces, Appl. Phys. A 78, 453 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R. S. Johnson, G. Lucovsky, I. Baumvol: Physical and electrical properties of noncrystalline Al2O3 prepared by remove plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 19, 1353 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky: Electronic structure of trnsition metal/rare earth althernative high-k gate dielectrics: Interfacial band alignments and intrinsic defects, Microeletron. Reliab. 43, 1417 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. G. Hong: Ph.D. thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • J. J. Chambers, G. N. Parsons: Physical and electrical characterization of ultrathin yttrium silicate insulators on silicon, J. Appl. Phys. 90, 918 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • R. Chau, S. Datta, M. Doczy, J. Kavalieros, M. Metz: Gate dielectric scaling for high-performance CMOS: From SiO2 to high-k, in International workshop on gate insulator(s) (Tokyo, Japan 2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • C. C. Fulton, G. Lucovsky, R. J. Nemanich: Process-depended band structure changes of transition-metal (Ti, Zr, Hf) oxides on Si, (100), Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 580 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • W. A. Harrison, E. A. Kraut, J. R. Walthrop, R. W. Grant: Polar heterojunction interfaces, Phys. Rev. B 18, 4402 (1978)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • H. J. Richter, M. Herrmann, W. Hermel: Calculation of heterogenous phase equilibrial in the system Si–Mg–N–O, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 7, 3 (1991)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • J. P. Maria, D. Wichakana, J. Parrete, A. I. Kingon: Crystallization in SiO2-metal oxides alloys, J. Mater. Res. 17, 1571 (2002)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. B. Rayner, D. Kang, G. Lucovsky: Spectroscopy study of chemical phase separation in zirconium silicate alloys, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 21, 1783 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • C. L. Hinkle, G. Lucovsky: Remote plasma-assisted nitridation (RPN): Applications to Zr and Hf silicate alloys and Al2O3, Appl. Surf. Sci. 216, 124 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. J. Ball, M. A. Mignanelli, J. I. Barry, J. A. Gisby: The calculation of phase equilibria of oxide core-concrete systems, J. Nucl. Mater. 20, 238 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G. Cevales: Ber. Deutsch. Keram. Ges. 45, 216 (1968)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • V. A. Lysenko: Neorg. Mater. 30, 930 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • R. S. Johnson, J. G. Hong, C. L. Hinkle, G. Lucovsky: Electron trapping in noncrystalline remote plasma deposited Hf-aluminate alloys for gate dielectric applications, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 20, 1126 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • D. Arnold, E. Cartier, D. J. Maria: Theory of high-field electron transport and impact ioninization in silicon dioxide, Phys. Rev. B 49, 10278 (1994)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • S. Lombardo, J. H. Stathis, B. P. Linder: Breakdown transients in ultrathin gate oxides: Transition in the degradation rate, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 167601 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky, J. G. Hong, C. C. Fulton, Y. Zou, R. J. Nemanich, H. Ade: X-ray absorption spectra for transition metal high-kappa dielectrics: Final state differences for intra- and inter-atomic transitions, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 22, 2132 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • G. Lucovsky, et al.: Radiation Physics and Chemistry (2005) in press

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Marco Fanciulli Giovanna Scarel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lucovsky, G., Phillips, J.C. Strain-Relief at Internal Dielectric Interfaces in High-k Gate Stacks with Transition Metal and Rare Earth Atom Oxide Dielectrics. In: Fanciulli, M., Scarel, G. (eds) Rare Earth Oxide Thin Films. Topics in Applied Physics, vol 106. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/11499893_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11499893_12

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-35796-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-35797-1

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics