Abstract
High-resolution electron microscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and first-principles theory are used to investigate the composition and electronic structure of HfO2 dielectric layers deposited directly onto Si. A thin, nonstoichiometric, but Hf-free SiO2 layer forms between the HfO2 dielectric and the substrate, consistent with one-dimensional spinodal decomposition. Rapid thermal annealing crystallizes the HfO2, and the resulting grain boundaries within the HfO2 are found to be O-depleted, with localized states within the bandgap. These localized states are thought to act as significant leakage pathways, and may be responsible for Fermi-level pinning at the dielectric/contact interface.
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