文摘
The W(150 nm)/HfO2b>(5 nm)/Si(100) structures prepared in a single vacuum cycle by rf magnetron sputtering were subjected to rapid thermal annealing in argon. It is found that at an annealing temperature of 950°C, the tungsten oxide WO x b> phase and the hafnium silicate HfSi x b>O y b> phase grow at the W/HfO2b> and HfO2b>/Si(100) interfaces, respectively. Herewith, the total thickness of the oxide layeris 30% larger than that of the initial HfO2b> film. In addition, a decrease in the specific capacitance in accumulation C maxb> and in the dielectric constant k (from 27 to 23) is observed. At an annealing temperature of 980°C, intensive interaction between tungsten and HfO2b> takes place, causing the formation of a compositionally inhomogeneous Hf x b>Si y b>W z b>O oxide layer and further decrease in C maxb>. It is shown that a considerable reduction in the leakage currents occurs in the W/HfO2b>/X/Si(100) structures, where X is a nitride barrier layer.