Interaction of La₂O₃ capping layers with HfO ₂ gate dielectrics

We report the effect of La2O3 capping layers on HfO2/SiO2/Si dielectrics, proposed for use in threshold voltage tuning of field effect transistors. Depth profiling with medium energy ion scattering shows that an initial surface layer of La2O 3 diffuses through the HfO2 at elevated temperatures, ultimately converting some of the thin interfacial SiO2 into a silicate. Core-level photoemission measurements indicate that the additional band-bending induced by the La2O3 only appears after diffusion, and the added charge resides between the HfO2 and the substrate. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.