Ultrathin high-K metal oxides on silicon: Processing, characterization and integration issues

An overview of our recent work on ultrathin (<100 Å) films of metal oxides deposited on silicon for advanced gate dielectrics applications will be presented. Data on ultrathin Al2O3, ZrO2, HfO2, and Y2O3 will be shown to illustrate the complex processing, integration and device-related issues for high dielectric constant ('high-K') materials. Both physical and electrical properties, as well as the effects of pre- and post-deposition treatments will be discussed. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.