Microwave Annealing of Integrated Ferroelectric Films

Ferroelectric thin films integrated with semiconductors are playing growing role as a key element of future computer memory. One of the film processing stage needs heating in order to obtain a good crystalline-structured ferroeleotric. The principle idea of proposed new method is to use significant distinction between a large microwave absorption of ferroelectrics and low absorption of semiconductors in order to apply microwave radiation energy in immediate region of film integrated with semiconductor in complex sandwich. During the annealing process the less heating of wafer the better, to prevent complicate semiconductor structures from becoming blurred. Metal-oxide electrode(which is interface between semiconductor and ferroelectric) and thin film itself are the main absorbers of microwave energy short pulses. Their power, rise time, duration and-duty can be much more carefully controlled by the modern microwave technique than any other heating processes. Moreover, the microwave-assisted processing of ferroelectric film offers unique possibility for non-electrode and non-contact measurements of film electric parameters simultaneously with the annealing or other processes.