Title :
Electrical and reliability characteristics of an ultrathin TaOxNy gate dielectric prepared by ND3 annealing of Ta2O5
Author :
Jung, Hyungsuk ; Im, Kiju ; Yang, DooYoung ; Hwang, Hyunsang
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Mater. Sci. & Eng., Kwangju Inst. of Sci. & Technol., South Korea
Abstract :
This letter describes a unique process for the preparation of high quality tantalum oxynitride (TaO/sub x/N/sub y/) via the ND/sub 3/ annealing of Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/, for use in gate dielectric applications. Compared with tantalum oxide (Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/), a significant improvement in the dielectric constant was obtained by the ammonia treatment followed by light reoxidation in a wet ambient. We were able to confirm nitrogen incorporation in the tantalum oxynitride (TaO/sub x/N/sub y/) by Auger electron spectroscopy. Compared with NH/sub 3/ nitridation, tantalum oxynitride prepared by nitridation in ND/sub 3/ shows less charge trapping and larger charge-to-breakdown characteristics.
Keywords :
MOSFET; annealing; dielectric thin films; leakage currents; permittivity; semiconductor device reliability; tantalum compounds; Auger electron spectroscopy; ND/sub 3/; ND/sub 3/ annealing; Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/; TaON; ammonia treatment; dielectric constant; electrical characteristics; larger charge-to-breakdown characteristics; less charge trapping; light reoxidation; reliability characteristics; ultrathin TaO/sub x/N/sub y/ gate dielectric; wet ambient; Dielectric constant; Dielectric devices; High-K gate dielectrics; Interface states; Leakage current; MOSFET circuits; Neodymium; Nitrogen; Plasma temperature; Tunneling;
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
