Effect of nitrogen incorporation on improvement of leakage properties in high-k HfO{sub 2} capacitors treated by N{sub 2}-plasma

Journal Article · Mon Sep 26 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2053369· OSTI ID:20709808

Seong, Nak-Jin; Yoon, Soon-Gil; Yeom, Seung-Jin; Woo, Hyun-Kyung; Kil, Deok-Sin; Roh, Jae-Sung; Sohn, Hyun-Chul ^[1]

---

1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daeduk Science Town, 305-764, Daejon (Korea, Republic of)

The nitrogen incorporation into the HfO{sub 2} films with an EOT (equivalent oxide thickness) of 9 A was performed by N{sub 2}-plasma to improve the electrical properties. The dielectric properties and a leakage current characteristics of the capacitors were investigated as a function of plasma power and plasma treatment temperature. The dielectric constant of the capacitors is not influenced by nitrogen incorporation. The N{sub 2}-plasma treatment at 300 deg. C and 70 W exhibits the most effective influence on improvement of the leakage current characteristics. Leakage current density of the capacitors treated at 300 deg. C and 70 W exhibits a half order of magnitude lower than that without plasma treatment. Nitrogen incorporated into the HfO{sub 2} films possesses the intrinsic effect that drastically reduce the electron leakage current through HfO{sub 2} dielectrics by deactivating the V{sub O} (oxygen vacancy) related gap states.

• OSTI ID: 20709808
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 87; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CAPACITORS
CURRENT DENSITY
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
FILMS
HAFNIUM OXIDES
LEAKAGE CURRENT
NITROGEN
OXYGEN
PERMITTIVITY
PLASMA
VACANCIES