Interfacial reaction and electrical properties of HfO2 film gate dielectric prepared by pulsed laser deposition in nitrogen: role of rapid thermal annealing and gate electrode.

The high-k dielectric HfO(2) thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition in nitrogen atmosphere. Rapid thermal annealing effect on film surface roughness, structure and electrical properties of HfO(2) film was investigated. The mechanism of interfacial reaction and the annealing atmosphere effect on the interfacial layer thickness were discussed. The sample annealed in nitrogen shows an amorphous dominated structure and the lowest leakage current density. Capacitors with high-k HfO(2) film as gate dielectric were fabricated, using Pt, Au, and Ti as the top gate electrode whereas Pt constitutes the bottom side electrode. At the gate injection case, the Pt- and Au-gated metal oxide semiconductor devices present a lower leakage current than that of the Ti-gated device, as well as similar leakage current conduction mechanism and interfacial properties at the metal/HfO(2) interface, because of their close work function and chemical properties.