Structure and electric property comparison between Ge nanoclusters embedded in Al2O3 and Al2O3/ZrO2

Metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures containing Ge nanocrystals embedded in both Al2O3 and ZrO2/Al2O3 are fabricated by an ultra-high vacuum electron-beam evaporation method. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) results indicate that Ge embedded in Al2O3 diffuses towards the surface of the Al2O3 layer after annealing at 800°C in N2 ambient for 30 min. Ge embedded in ZrO2/Al2O3 is stable, thus inducing less leakage current. Capacitance voltage studies indicate that annealing can effectively passivate the negatively charged trapping centers. Memory effect of the Ge nanoclusters is verified by hysteresis in the C-V curves in the Al2O3/Ge+Al2O3/Al2O3 and ZrO2/Ge+Al2O3/Al2O3 samples.