Dual-step grown ternary aluminium zirconium oxide and its characteristics for metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor

Abstract

Ternary AlxZryOz films were successfully grown on Si substrate via a dual-step growth technique, which was referred to as a co-sputtering process followed by an oxidation in wet, atmospheric, and dry ambient at 800 °C. Hydrogen (H2) molecules generated from wet oxidation could passivate interfacial defects, improving interface quality between the grown AlxZryOz film and Si substrate. The improvement in interface quality was not observed however in the dry and atmospheric oxidation due to the absence of H2 molecules. Besides the effects brought by H2, the interfacial layer thickness could be impeded due to the presence of nitrogen (N2) in the wet oxidation that would pile up at the interface to serve as an oxygen diffusion barrier layer. Nonetheless, the effect was not clearly seen in the atmospheric ambient although N2 gas was also present. Hence, a thicker interfacial layer was formed. Detailed exploration of the work in terms of structural, morphological, optical, and electrical characteristics of the corresponding ternary AlxZryOz films was studied and compared.