Engineering structure and properties of hafnium oxide films by atomic layer deposition temperature

Abstract

HfO 2 films were atomic layer deposited from HfCl 4 and H 2O on Si(100) in the temperature range of 300–600 °C. At low temperatures, films grow faster and are structurally more disordered, compared to films grown at high temperatures. At high temperatures, the films are better crystallized, but grow slower and contain grain boundaries extending from substrate to gate electrode. Film growth rate and capacitance of HfO 2 dielectric layers was improved by depositing stacked structures with polycrystalline films of higher purity at 600 °C on thin HfO 2 sublayer grown on Si at 300 °C.