Andre Wachowiak

Impact of postdeposition annealing upon film properties of atomic layer deposition-grown Al2O3 on GaN

Atomic layer deposition-grown Al2O3 thin films are grown on n-type GaN and annealed at 300 or 500 °C in various atmospheres. Metal–insulator–semiconductor capacitors (MISCAPs) are used as simplified test structures for AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors with an Al2O3 gate dielectric. Electrical characterization of the unannealed MISCAPs reveals a low leakage current density of ∼1.4 × 10−9 A/cm2 at −2 MV/cm. Annealing at 500 °C in N2 or a forming gas results in a degradation of this leakage level by more than one order of magnitude, whereas the leakage current of the Al2O3 films annealed at 500 °C in O2 is increased to ∼5.2 × 10−9 A/cm2 at −2 MV/cm. The photoassisted capacitance–voltage technique, the conductance method, and border trap analysis are used to study the influence of the annealing ambient atmosphere upon the Al2O3/GaN interface. For all atmospheres, thermal treatments at 500 °C marginally affects the border oxide trap density, but the forming gas anneal at 500 °C passivates the...

Scanning spreading resistance microscopy for failure analysis of nLDMOS devices with decreased breakdown voltage

Abstract Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscopy (SSRM) is successfully applied to investigate failing nLDMOS test devices that exhibit a lowered break down voltage (BVDSS) in electrical test. Cross-sectional, two-dimensional maps of the local sample resistivity from fail and reference (pass) devices reveal significant differences of the dopant concentration in individual, specific regions. This important information enables unambiguous identification of the root cause of the device failure to be dopant related. Furthermore, from a set of hypothesis, which explains the failed electrical test, SSRM results confirm exactly one and rule out the other. These are two important steps towards root cause identification. Since a relative comparison of fail and pass SSRM scans is sufficient for this failure analysis, an extensive data calibration for the absolute dopant concentration by means of additional SSRM measurements on test samples with known dopant concentration is not required. The ability of SSRM to prove or disprove miscellaneous fail hypothesis even without data calibration makes this method a very powerful tool for analysis of dopant related failure types.

Molecular beam deposited zirconium dioxide as a high-κ dielectric for future GaN based power devices

Molecular beam deposited zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) was assessed as high-κ gate dielectric for future GaN based devices. To compare and study electrical and structural properties, thin ZrO2 films were deposited on three different substrates, n++-c-plane GaN, p-(100) Si, and TiN. The films were fabricated by electron beam evaporation from a single stoichiometric ZrO2 target. A substrate-independent phase transition from amorphous ZrO2 to the tetragonal/cubic phase was identified by gracing incidence x-ray diffractometry. Finally, monoclinic ZrO2 emerged with increasing film thickness. As found by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ZrO2 formed an abrupt interface to both GaN and TiN without intermixture. Dielectric constants in the range of 14–25 were extracted from capacitance versus voltage measurements for as-deposited ZrO2 films. The leakage currents of ZrO2 on GaN resembled their counterparts on Si as well as on TiN.

New color sensor concept based on single spectral tunable photodiode

In this work we present a new operational principle of an adjustable, high resolution color sensor. The concept is based on a single photodiode, which was specifically designed for a variable spectral response, corresponding to the extension of its space charge region. A wide range of spectral sensitivity functions (i.e. the receptor function of the human eye) can be emulated from a series of measured photo currents under different voltage bias conditions. The variable photodiode was realized in hardware, and its functionality for true color sensing was confirmed by electro-optical measurements and algorithmic transformations. The new tunable photodiode enables a very flexible sensor operation. It allows for modifications of the functionality of the sensor, which is defined by its spectral response function, even during operation simply by changing the measurement protocol and algorithmic processing e.g, software adaption. No change in the hardware configuration of the sensor is necessary.

Intrinsic MOSFET leakage of high-k peripheral DRAM devices: Measurement and simulation

The gate leakage (IGate, table 1) is reduced compared to the conventional 65nm process with SiON dielectric (Fig. 2). The leakage current due to direct tunneling is simulated using the CET as fitting parameter. High-k PFETs with an oxide extension spacer show a decrease in leakage density with reducing channel length, due to an average CET increase of 1Å (Fig. 3). Most likely unintended oxidation of the interlayer at the gate edge by oxygen supply through the spacer causes the CET increase (Fig. 1). The phenomenon is avoided using a nitride extension spacer. But nitride spacers at the inner gate edge are known to lead to increased gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) [8]. A dual oxide nitride extension spacer is sufficient to prevent unintended gate edge oxidation (Fig. 3).

Mobility Investigations on Strained 30-nm High-

In this paper, we present mobility investigations of strained nMOS and pMOS short-channel transistors with dimensions down to 30-nm gate length. Using the geometrical magnetoresistance (MR) effect, carrier mobility of electrons and holes in the inversion channel of a recent state-of-the-art CMOS technology is presented from linear to saturation operation conditions. The MR effect allows for a more direct access to the carrier mobility compared with the conventional current/voltage and capacitance/voltage mobility derivation methods, in which series resistance, inversion charge density, and effective channel length are necessary to extract the mobility values of the short-channel devices. In another way, the MR effect can help to disentangle the performance gain of the strained state-of-the art devices to changes in channel mobility or device connection, e.g., series resistance effects.

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In this article, the authors analyze the impact of germanium amorphization on the interface defect concentration of state of the art high-k metal gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. The gate etch is a crucial process step for the high-k gate first integration approach. Germanium implantation is used to amorphize the annealed and, therefore, nanocrystalline hafnium silicon oxide. This ensures a well controlled wet etch removal. The quality of the gate oxide to the channel interface of the transistor samples is monitored by charge pumping. The influence of the damage caused by the germanium implant at the unprotected gate edge is analyzed for different gate stacks by measuring the gate induced drain leakage. The defect concentration at the gate edge can be reduced by adjusting the germanium amorphization energy.

Metal Gate MOSFETs by Geometrical Magnetoresistance Effect

Scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) with its high spatial resolution and high dynamic signal range is a powerful tool for two-dimensional characterization of semiconductor dopant areas. However, the application of the method is limited to devices in equilibrium condition, as the investigation of actively operated devices would imply potential differences within the device, whereas SSRM relies on a constant voltage difference between sample surface and probe tip. Furthermore, the standard preparation includes short circuiting of all device components, limiting applications to devices in equilibrium condition. In this work scanning dynamic voltage spreading resistance microscopy (SDVSRM), a new SSRM based two pass atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique is introduced, overcoming these limitations. Instead of short circuiting the samples during preparation, wire bond devices are used allowing for active control of the individual device components. SDVSRM consists of two passes. In the first pass the local sample surface voltage dependent on the dc biases applied to the components of the actively driven device is measured as in scanning voltage microscopy (SVM). The local spreading resistance is measured within the second pass, in which the afore obtained local surface voltage is used to dynamically adjust the terminal voltages of the device under test. This is done in a way that the local potential difference across the nano-electrical contact matches the software set SSRM measurement voltage, and at the same time, the internal voltage differences within the device under test are maintained. In this work the proof of the concept could be demonstrated by obtaining spreading resistance data of an actively driven photodiode test device. SDVSRM adds a higher level of flexibility in general to SSRM, as occurring differences in cross section surface voltage are taken into account. These differences are immanent for actively driven devices, but can also be present at standard, short circuited samples. Therefore, SDVSRM could improve the characterization under equilibrium conditions as well.

Analysis of the effect of germanium preamorphization on interface defects and leakage current for high-k metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor

In this report, the operation of a normally-off vertical gallium nitride (GaN) metal-oxide field effect transistor with a threshold voltage of 5 V is demonstrated. A crucial step during device fabrication is the formation of the highly n-doped source layer. The authors infer that the use of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is highly beneficial for suppressing diffusion of the magnesium (Mg) p-type dopants from the body layer grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy into the source cap. Repassivation of the previously activated Mg acceptors by a hydrogen out-diffusion treatment is suppressed in the ultrahigh vacuum growth environment. Structural and electrical data indicate that the defect density of the GaN substrate is currently limiting device performance much more compared to other effects like varying surface morphology resulting from fluctuations in III/N stoichiometry during the MBE growth.In this report, the operation of a normally-off vertical gallium nitride (GaN) metal-oxide field effect transistor with a threshold voltage of 5 V is demonstrated. A crucial step during device fabrication is the formation of the highly n-doped source layer. The authors infer that the use of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is highly beneficial for suppressing diffusion of the magnesium (Mg) p-type dopants from the body layer grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy into the source cap. Repassivation of the previously activated Mg acceptors by a hydrogen out-diffusion treatment is suppressed in the ultrahigh vacuum growth environment. Structural and electrical data indicate that the defect density of the GaN substrate is currently limiting device performance much more compared to other effects like varying surface morphology resulting from fluctuations in III/N stoichiometry during the MBE growth.

SDVSRM - a new SSRM based technique featuring dynamically adjusted, scanner synchronized sample voltages for measurement of actively operated devices

Metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) capacitor structures were fabricated on AlGaN/GaN two-dimensional electron gas heterostructure material in order to investigate important aspects of the gate module of a corresponding MIS-high electron mobility transistor device. The process sequence started with an initial wet chemical surface treatment of the as-grown semiconductor material followed by an atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 (high-k first). The electrical analysis focused on the gate leakage current as well as on the shift of the threshold voltage (Vth) upon bias stress in the off- and the on-state regions. The high-k first samples showed much better Vth stability compared to lithographically processed samples, in which the high-k deposition was performed after ohmic contact formation and just before the gate electrode metallization. These results reflect a superior quality of the high-k/GaN interface for the processed structures according to the high-k first approach.