Role of Nitrogen Incorporation into Hf-Based High-k Gate Dielectrics for Termination of Local Current Leakage Paths

• Watanabe Heiji

  Department of Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

• Kamiyama Satoshi

  Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.

• Umezawa Naoto

  National Institute for Materials Science

• Shiraishi Kenji

  Institute of Physics, University of Tsukuba

• Yoshida Shiniti

  Department of Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

• Watanabe Yasumasa

  Department of Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

• Arikado Tsunetoshi

  Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.

• Chikyow Toyohiro

  National Institute for Materials Science

• Yamada Keisaku

  Nanotechnology Research Laboratories, Waseda University

• Yasutake Kiyoshi

  Department of Precision Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University

Abstract

We studied effects of nitrogen incorporation into Hf-based high-k gate dielectrics on local insulating properties by conductive atomic force microscopy. Nitrogen-incorporated HfSiO/HfO₂/SiO₂ gate stacks exhibited excellent dielectric reliability, whereas we observed the creation of local leakage sites for untreated gate stacks, i.e., without nitridation. Both types of high-k dielectric layers were crystallized, and there was no relationship between the current leakage sites and surface morphology. These findings indicate that grain boundaries of the high-k films do not act as the leakage sites. Instead, we propose nitrogen incorporation as an important method for terminating the current leakage paths and discuss detailed mechanisms based on first-principles calculations.

Journal

• Japanese Journal of Applied Physics

  Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 44 (42-45), L1333-L1336, 2005

  The Japan Society of Applied Physics

Keywords

• high-<I>k</I> gate dielectrics
• reliability
• dielectric breakdown
• current leakage path
• conductive atomic force microscopy
• nitridation
• first-principles calculations
• crystallization
• grain boundary
• oxygen vacancy

Details

• CRID: 1390001206269501440
• NII Article ID: 10016856711
• NII Article ID: 210000059364
• NII Article ID: 130004766249
• NII Book ID: AA11906093
• DOI: 10.1143/jjap.44.l1333
• ISSN: 13474065
• ISSN: 00214922
• NDL BIB ID: 7694224
• Web Site: http://id.ndl.go.jp/bib/7694224
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I7694224
• Web Site: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1143/JJAP.44.L1333
• Web Site: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1143/JJAP.44.L1333/pdf
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed