| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 543285 | Microelectronic Engineering | 2009 | 4 Pages |
Interfacial microstructure and electrical properties of HfAlOx films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on compressively strained Si83Ge17/Si substrates were investigated. HfSiOx-dominated amorphous interfacial layer (IL) embedded with crystalline HfSix nano-particles were revealed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile study. About 280 mV-wide clockwise capacitance–voltage(C–V) hysteresis for the HfAlOx film deposited in Ar + N2 mixed ambient was observed. Oxygen vacancies and interfacial defects in the HfSiOx IL, as well as trapped charges in the boundaries between the HfSix nano-particles and surrounded amorphous HfSiOx may be responsible for the large C–V hysteresis.
