Control of high-k/germanium interface properties through selection of high-k materials and suppression of GeO volatilization

Two approaches to control high-k/Ge interface qualities were investigated. The first approach was using high-k materials that are intimate with Ge. These Ge-intimate high-k materials should have moderate reactivity with Ge to form an amorphized interface that will reduce the interface defects and will suppress the GeO desorption at the interface. The second approach was modifying the annealing processes by using a cap layer to block GeO out-diffusion. We found that Si works as the cap layer very efficiently. By combining those two approaches, we achieved fairly good high-k/Ge metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS) characteristics with LaYO3 as the Ge-intimate high-k material, and a NiSiX electrode as the cap layer. These results provide us an important guide for controlling the high-k/Ge interface properties. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.