Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO                         2                          gate dielectrics treated by remote NH                         3                          plasma

Li Tien Huang; Ming Lun Chang; Jhih Jie Huang; Hsin Chih Lin; Chin Lung Kuo; Min Hung Lee; Chee Wee Liu; Miin Jang Chen

doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.11.097

Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO ₂ gate dielectrics treated by remote NH ₃ plasma

Li Tien Huang, Ming Lun Chang, Jhih Jie Huang, Hsin Chih Lin, Chin Lung Kuo, Min Hung Lee, Chee Wee Liu, Miin Jang Chen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Undergraduate Program of Electro-Optical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report the structural and electrical characteristics of hafnium oxide (HfO ₂ ) gate dielectrics treated by remote NH ₃ plasma under various radio-frequency (RF) powers at a low temperature. Significant increase of effective dielectric constant (k _eff ), decrease of capacitance equivalent thickness (CET), reduction in leakage current density, and suppression of the interfacial layer thickness were observed with the increase of the RF power in the remote NH ₃ plasma treatment. The effects of hydrogen passivation and depassivation on the HfO ₂ /Si interface due to the remote NH ₃ plasma treatment were also observed by the variation of photoluminescence (PL) intensity, indicating that the PL measurement is applicable to probe the interfacial properties. An ultrathin interfacial layer (∼0.3 nm), a high k _eff , (20.9), a low leakage current density (9 × 10 ^-6 A/cm ² ), and a low CET (1.9 nm) in the nitrided HfO ₂ film were achieved, demonstrating that the nitridation process using remote NH ₃ plasma under a high RF power at a low temperature is a promising way to improve in electrical properties of high-K gate dielectrics.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	89-93
Number of pages	5
Journal	Applied Surface Science
Volume	266
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.11.097
Publication status	Published - 2013 Feb 1

Keywords

Atomic layer deposition
Hafnium oxide
Nitridation
Remote plasma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics
General Physics and Astronomy
Surfaces and Interfaces
Surfaces, Coatings and Films

Access to Document

10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.11.097

Cite this

Huang, L. T., Chang, M. L., Huang, J. J., Lin, H. C., Kuo, C. L., Lee, M. H., Liu, C. W., & Chen, M. J. (2013). Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO ₂ gate dielectrics treated by remote NH ₃ plasma Applied Surface Science, 266, 89-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.11.097

Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO ₂ gate dielectrics treated by remote NH ₃ plasma . / Huang, Li Tien; Chang, Ming Lun; Huang, Jhih Jie et al.
In: Applied Surface Science, Vol. 266, 01.02.2013, p. 89-93.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Huang, LT, Chang, ML, Huang, JJ, Lin, HC, Kuo, CL, Lee, MH, Liu, CW & Chen, MJ 2013, ' Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO ₂ gate dielectrics treated by remote NH ₃ plasma ', Applied Surface Science, vol. 266, pp. 89-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.11.097

Huang LT, Chang ML, Huang JJ, Lin HC, Kuo CL, Lee MH et al. Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO ₂ gate dielectrics treated by remote NH ₃ plasma Applied Surface Science. 2013 Feb 1;266:89-93. doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.11.097

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title = " Improvement in electrical characteristics of HfO 2 gate dielectrics treated by remote NH 3 plasma ",

abstract = " We report the structural and electrical characteristics of hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) gate dielectrics treated by remote NH 3 plasma under various radio-frequency (RF) powers at a low temperature. Significant increase of effective dielectric constant (k eff ), decrease of capacitance equivalent thickness (CET), reduction in leakage current density, and suppression of the interfacial layer thickness were observed with the increase of the RF power in the remote NH 3 plasma treatment. The effects of hydrogen passivation and depassivation on the HfO 2 /Si interface due to the remote NH 3 plasma treatment were also observed by the variation of photoluminescence (PL) intensity, indicating that the PL measurement is applicable to probe the interfacial properties. An ultrathin interfacial layer (∼0.3 nm), a high k eff , (20.9), a low leakage current density (9 × 10 -6 A/cm 2 ), and a low CET (1.9 nm) in the nitrided HfO 2 film were achieved, demonstrating that the nitridation process using remote NH 3 plasma under a high RF power at a low temperature is a promising way to improve in electrical properties of high-K gate dielectrics.",

keywords = "Atomic layer deposition, Hafnium oxide, Nitridation, Remote plasma",

author = "Huang, {Li Tien} and Chang, {Ming Lun} and Huang, {Jhih Jie} and Lin, {Hsin Chih} and Kuo, {Chin Lung} and Lee, {Min Hung} and Liu, {Chee Wee} and Chen, {Miin Jang}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was financially supported by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and National Science Council in Taiwan under contract number NSC 100-2120-M-002-014, NSC-101-2120-M-002-010, and NSC-101-2218-E-002-010.",

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AU - Kuo, Chin Lung

AU - Lee, Min Hung

AU - Liu, Chee Wee

AU - Chen, Miin Jang

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N2 - We report the structural and electrical characteristics of hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) gate dielectrics treated by remote NH 3 plasma under various radio-frequency (RF) powers at a low temperature. Significant increase of effective dielectric constant (k eff ), decrease of capacitance equivalent thickness (CET), reduction in leakage current density, and suppression of the interfacial layer thickness were observed with the increase of the RF power in the remote NH 3 plasma treatment. The effects of hydrogen passivation and depassivation on the HfO 2 /Si interface due to the remote NH 3 plasma treatment were also observed by the variation of photoluminescence (PL) intensity, indicating that the PL measurement is applicable to probe the interfacial properties. An ultrathin interfacial layer (∼0.3 nm), a high k eff , (20.9), a low leakage current density (9 × 10 -6 A/cm 2 ), and a low CET (1.9 nm) in the nitrided HfO 2 film were achieved, demonstrating that the nitridation process using remote NH 3 plasma under a high RF power at a low temperature is a promising way to improve in electrical properties of high-K gate dielectrics.

AB - We report the structural and electrical characteristics of hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ) gate dielectrics treated by remote NH 3 plasma under various radio-frequency (RF) powers at a low temperature. Significant increase of effective dielectric constant (k eff ), decrease of capacitance equivalent thickness (CET), reduction in leakage current density, and suppression of the interfacial layer thickness were observed with the increase of the RF power in the remote NH 3 plasma treatment. The effects of hydrogen passivation and depassivation on the HfO 2 /Si interface due to the remote NH 3 plasma treatment were also observed by the variation of photoluminescence (PL) intensity, indicating that the PL measurement is applicable to probe the interfacial properties. An ultrathin interfacial layer (∼0.3 nm), a high k eff , (20.9), a low leakage current density (9 × 10 -6 A/cm 2 ), and a low CET (1.9 nm) in the nitrided HfO 2 film were achieved, demonstrating that the nitridation process using remote NH 3 plasma under a high RF power at a low temperature is a promising way to improve in electrical properties of high-K gate dielectrics.

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