Abstract
The effects of post-deposition annealing (PDA) on the electrical characteristics of ZrO 2 and HfO 2 gate dielectric films were investigated. After PDA at 600°C, the insulating properties of ZrO 2 were improved, while those of HfO 2 were deteriorated. The improved insulating properties of ZrO 2 are attributed to both the negligible increase of interfacial layer (IL) thickness and the transformation of its crystalline structure to the tetragonal phase. The degraded insulating properties of HfO 2 after PDA at high temperatures were due to the abrupt increase of IL thickness and the generation of current paths through grain boundaries. The different IL growth between HfO 2 and ZrO 2 after PDA could be understood from the different formation energy of oxygen interstitials in the two dielectric films.
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