Insights into thermal diffusion of germanium and oxygen atoms in HfO{sub 2}/GeO{sub 2}/Ge gate stacks and their suppressed reaction with atomically thin AlO{sub x} interlayers
- Toray Research Center, Inc., 3-3-7 Sonoyama, Otsu, Shiga 520-8567 (Japan)
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)
The thermal diffusion of germanium and oxygen atoms in HfO{sub 2}/GeO{sub 2}/Ge gate stacks was comprehensively evaluated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry combined with an isotopic labeling technique. It was found that {sup 18}O-tracers composing the GeO{sub 2} underlayers diffuse within the HfO{sub 2} overlayers based on Fick's law with the low activation energy of about 0.5 eV. Although out-diffusion of the germanium atoms through HfO{sub 2} also proceeded at the low temperatures of around 200 °C, the diffusing germanium atoms preferentially segregated on the HfO{sub 2} surfaces, and the reaction was further enhanced at high temperatures with the assistance of GeO desorption. A technique to insert atomically thin AlO{sub x} interlayers between the HfO{sub 2} and GeO{sub 2} layers was proven to effectively suppress both of these independent germanium and oxygen intermixing reactions in the gate stacks.
- OSTI ID:
- 22493079
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 23; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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