High-k dielectric fabrication process to minimize mobile ionic penetration

A process for fabricating hafnium oxide (HfO) films to minimize ionic penetration was developed and tested. A 333Å HfO film was successfully deposited by thermal evaporation. The film was characterized through capacitance versus time (C-T) and capacitance versus voltage (C-V) measurements. The films were exposed to a solution of 0.1M NaCl physiological saline and preliminary results showed that the ionic species did not alter the electrical characteristics. The relative effective dielectric constant of the hafnium oxide layer and SiO₂ interfacial layer was 10.5, while the relative dielectric constant of the hafnium oxide layer was 18.