Atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 on germanium-tin (GeSn) and impact of wet chemical surface pre-treatment

Abstract

GeSn is quickly emerging as a potential candidate for high performance Si-compatible transistor technology. Fabrication of high-ĸ gate stacks on GeSn with good interface properties is essential for realizing high performance field effect transistors based on this material system. We demonstrate an effective surface passivation scheme for n-Ge0.97Sn0.03 alloy using atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3. The effect of pre-ALD wet chemical surface treatment is analyzed and shown to be critical in obtaining a good quality interface between GeSn and Al2O3. Using proper surface pre-treatment, mid-gap trap density for the Al2O3/GeSn interface of the order of 1012 cm−2 has been achieved.