The characteristics of the high-K Er2O3 (erbium oxide) dielectrics deposited on polycrystalline silicon

The high-k Er2O3 films deposited on polycrystalline silicon treated with various post-rapid thermal annealing (RTA) temperatures were formed as high k dielectrics. In order to study the annealing effects, electrical measurements, optical characterizations, and multiple material analyses techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were performed to examine the differences between the samples in various annealing conditions. The annealing temperature at 800 degrees C was the optimal condition to form a well-crystallized Er2O3 film with excellent material quality and electrical properties. RTA annealing at an appropriate annealing temperature of 800 degrees C might effectively mitigate the dangling bonds and traps and improve electrical and material properties of the dielectric. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.