Structural and electrical properties of crystalline (1−x)Ta2O5−xTiO2 thin films fabricated by metalorganic decomposition

Polycrystalline (1−x)Ta2O5−xTiO2 thin films were formed on Si by metalorganic decomposition (MOD) and annealed at various temperatures. As-deposited films were in the amorphous state and were completely transformed to crystalline after annealing above 600 °C. During crystallization, a thin interfacial SiO2 layer was formed at the (1−x)Ta2O5−xTiO2/Si interface. Thin films with 0.92Ta2O5–0.08TiO2 composition exhibited superior insulating properties. The measured dielectric constant and dissipation factor at 1 MHz were 9 and 0.015, respectively, for films annealed at 900 °C. The interface trap density was 2.5×1011 cm−2 eV−1, and flatband voltage was −0.38 V. A charge storage density of 22.8 fC/μm2 was obtained at an applied electric field of 3 MV/cm. The leakage current density was lower than 4×10−9 A/cm2 up to an applied electric field of 6 MV/cm.