Characterization of ultrathin gate dielectrics formed by in-situ steam generation with nitrogen postprocessing

A. Karamcheti; V. H.C. Watt; H. N. Al-Shareef; T. Y. Luo; M. D. Jackson; H. R. Huff; C. Steinbrüchel

doi:10.1007/s11664-002-0158-8

Characterization of ultrathin gate dielectrics formed by in-situ steam generation with nitrogen postprocessing

A. Karamcheti, V. H.C. Watt, H. N. Al-Shareef, T. Y. Luo, M. D. Jackson, H. R. Huff, C. Steinbrüchel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examined ultrathin films produced by in-situ steam generation (ISSG), ISSG with NO anneal, ISSG with remote plasma nitridation (RPN), and rapid thermal oxidation (RTO). Capacitance-voltage measurements performed on these films indicated an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) in the range of 1.6-2.5 nm. The nitrogen postprocessing made it possible to achieve thinner EOTs while keeping the leakage current density below 10^-2 A/cm² at V_g = -1.5 V. Total x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis on the films yielded a transition metal concentration less than 5 × 10¹⁰ atoms/cm². Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements yielded microroughness values of 0.18-0.2 nm, which were conformal to the starting material surface microroughness. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images showed physical thicknesses ranging from 2.0-3.0 nm, which were used, in conjunction with the EOTs, to calculate effective dielectric constants for the films. Low energy (500 eV) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements performed on the ISSG + NO and ISSG + RPN films showed sharply different [N] profiles.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	158
Pages (from-to)	124-128
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of Electronic Materials
Volume	31
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-002-0158-8
State	Published - 2002
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Equivalent oxide thickness (EOT)
Gate dielectrics
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)
Hysteresis
In-situ steam generation (ISSG)
Leakage current
Oxynitride
Remote plasma nitridation (RPN)
Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Materials Chemistry

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10.1007/s11664-002-0158-8

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title = "Characterization of ultrathin gate dielectrics formed by in-situ steam generation with nitrogen postprocessing",

abstract = "We examined ultrathin films produced by in-situ steam generation (ISSG), ISSG with NO anneal, ISSG with remote plasma nitridation (RPN), and rapid thermal oxidation (RTO). Capacitance-voltage measurements performed on these films indicated an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) in the range of 1.6-2.5 nm. The nitrogen postprocessing made it possible to achieve thinner EOTs while keeping the leakage current density below 10-2 A/cm2 at Vg = -1.5 V. Total x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis on the films yielded a transition metal concentration less than 5 × 1010 atoms/cm2. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements yielded microroughness values of 0.18-0.2 nm, which were conformal to the starting material surface microroughness. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images showed physical thicknesses ranging from 2.0-3.0 nm, which were used, in conjunction with the EOTs, to calculate effective dielectric constants for the films. Low energy (500 eV) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements performed on the ISSG + NO and ISSG + RPN films showed sharply different [N] profiles.",

keywords = "Equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), Gate dielectrics, High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Hysteresis, In-situ steam generation (ISSG), Leakage current, Oxynitride, Remote plasma nitridation (RPN), Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)",

author = "A. Karamcheti and Watt, {V. H.C.} and Al-Shareef, {H. N.} and Luo, {T. Y.} and Jackson, {M. D.} and Huff, {H. R.} and C. Steinbr{\"u}chel",

year = "2002",

doi = "10.1007/s11664-002-0158-8",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "31",

pages = "124--128",

journal = "Journal of Electronic Materials",

issn = "0361-5235",

publisher = "Springer New York",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Characterization of ultrathin gate dielectrics formed by in-situ steam generation with nitrogen postprocessing

AU - Karamcheti, A.

AU - Watt, V. H.C.

AU - Al-Shareef, H. N.

AU - Luo, T. Y.

AU - Jackson, M. D.

AU - Huff, H. R.

AU - Steinbrüchel, C.

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - We examined ultrathin films produced by in-situ steam generation (ISSG), ISSG with NO anneal, ISSG with remote plasma nitridation (RPN), and rapid thermal oxidation (RTO). Capacitance-voltage measurements performed on these films indicated an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) in the range of 1.6-2.5 nm. The nitrogen postprocessing made it possible to achieve thinner EOTs while keeping the leakage current density below 10-2 A/cm2 at Vg = -1.5 V. Total x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis on the films yielded a transition metal concentration less than 5 × 1010 atoms/cm2. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements yielded microroughness values of 0.18-0.2 nm, which were conformal to the starting material surface microroughness. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images showed physical thicknesses ranging from 2.0-3.0 nm, which were used, in conjunction with the EOTs, to calculate effective dielectric constants for the films. Low energy (500 eV) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements performed on the ISSG + NO and ISSG + RPN films showed sharply different [N] profiles.

AB - We examined ultrathin films produced by in-situ steam generation (ISSG), ISSG with NO anneal, ISSG with remote plasma nitridation (RPN), and rapid thermal oxidation (RTO). Capacitance-voltage measurements performed on these films indicated an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) in the range of 1.6-2.5 nm. The nitrogen postprocessing made it possible to achieve thinner EOTs while keeping the leakage current density below 10-2 A/cm2 at Vg = -1.5 V. Total x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis on the films yielded a transition metal concentration less than 5 × 1010 atoms/cm2. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements yielded microroughness values of 0.18-0.2 nm, which were conformal to the starting material surface microroughness. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images showed physical thicknesses ranging from 2.0-3.0 nm, which were used, in conjunction with the EOTs, to calculate effective dielectric constants for the films. Low energy (500 eV) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements performed on the ISSG + NO and ISSG + RPN films showed sharply different [N] profiles.

KW - Equivalent oxide thickness (EOT)

KW - Gate dielectrics

KW - High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)

KW - Hysteresis

KW - In-situ steam generation (ISSG)

KW - Leakage current

KW - Oxynitride

KW - Remote plasma nitridation (RPN)

KW - Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)

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U2 - 10.1007/s11664-002-0158-8

DO - 10.1007/s11664-002-0158-8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0036475333

SN - 0361-5235

VL - 31

SP - 124

EP - 128

JO - Journal of Electronic Materials

JF - Journal of Electronic Materials

IS - 2

M1 - 158

ER -

Characterization of ultrathin gate dielectrics formed by in-situ steam generation with nitrogen postprocessing

Abstract

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