Design and control of Ge-based metal-oxide-semiconductor interfaces for high-mobility field-effect transistors with ultrathin oxynitride gate dielectrics

Abstract

High-quality Ge-based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) stacks were achieved with ultrathin oxynitride (GeON) gate dielectrics. An in situ process based on plasma nitridation of the base germanium oxide (GeO2) surface and subsequent metal electrode deposition was proven to be effective for suppressing electrical deterioration induced by the reaction at the metal/insulator interface. The electrical properties of the bottom GeON/Ge interface were further improved by both low-temperature oxidation for base GeO2 formation and high-temperature in situ vacuum annealing after plasma nitridation of the base oxide. Based on the optimized in situ gate stack fabrication process, very high inversion carrier mobility (μhole: 445 cm2/Vs, μelectron: 1114 cm2/Vs) was demonstrated for p- and n-channel Ge MOSFETs with Al/GeON/Ge gate stacks at scaled equivalent oxide thickness down to 1.4 nm.