Modeling of Alternative High-k Dielectrics for Memory Based Applications

Abstract

Significant research efforts are devoted to the development of alternative high dielectric constant oxides (high-k) to sustain the requirements of the next generations of DRAM and FLASH memories. For the metal-insulator-metal applications, the identification of an oxide with a dielectric constant higher than 50 and a crystallization temperature lower than 650 C is a corner stone in the selection of the materials; while for non volatile memory (NVM) applications, an oxide with a dielectric constant ranging between 9 and 30, a large band gap (> 6 eV) are targeted. While significant efforts have been dedicated to the integration of possible material candidates, little is known on their intrinsic properties. Through this paper, we provide an overview of the parameters that determine the electronic and the polarizability response of tantalates, niobiates and rare-earth based scandates oxides eligible for the development of the next generation of memory based applications.