Conduction band states of transition metal (TM) high-k gate dielectrics as determined from X-ray absorption spectra

This paper uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the electronic structure of the high-k gate dielectrics including TM and RE oxides. The results are applicable to TM and rare earth (RE) silicate and aluminate alloys, as well as complex oxides comprised of mixed TM/TM and TM/RE oxides. These studies identify the nature of the lowest conduction band d∗ states, which define the optical band gap, Eg, and the conduction band offset energy with respect to crystalline Si, EB. Eg and EB scale with the atomic properties of the TM and RE atoms providing important insights for identification high-k dielectrics that meet performance targets for advanced CMOS devices.