Michael Louis Steigerwald

Defect dominated charge transport in amorphous Ta2O5 thin films

Ta2O5 is a candidate for use in metal–oxide–metal (MOM) capacitors in several areas of silicon device technology. Understanding and controlling leakage current is critical for successful implementation of this material. We have studied thermal and photoconductive charge transport processes in Ta2O5 MOM capacitors fabricated by anodization, reactive sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition. We find that the results from each of these three methods are similar if one compares films that have the same thickness and electrodes. Two types of leakage current are identified: (a) a transient current that charges the bulk states of the films and (b) a steady state activated process involving electron transport via a defect band. The transient process involves either tunneling conductivity into states near the Fermi energy or ion motion. The steady state process, seen most commonly in films <300 A thick, is dominated by a large number of defects, ∼1019–1020 cm−3, located near the metal–oxide interfaces. The interi...

THERMAL STABILITY OF TA2O5 IN METAL-OXIDE-METAL CAPACITOR STRUCTURES

Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, we have studied structures used in metal–oxide–metal capacitors including Ta2O5/TiN/Ti, Ta2O5/Ti, Ta2O5/TaN/Ti, Ta2O5/WN/Ti, and Ta2O5/M, where M=Ta, Pt, W, Al, and Si. We find that Ti and Al are able to reduce the Ta2O5 to Ta, forming oxides of Ti and Al, respectively. The diffusion barriers TiN, TaN, and WN hamper the diffusion of oxygen and therefore postpone the reduction of Ta2O5 to higher temperatures. As judged by the temperatures at which the reduction of Ta2O5 occurs, TaN and WN are more effective oxygen-diffusion barriers than TiN. We observe no oxygen remaining in the diffusion barrier when a Ti layer is present underneath. We observe no reduction of Ta2O5 when M=Pt, W, or Si.

Material and electrical characterization of carbon-doped Ta2O5 films for embedded dynamic random access memory applications

This work is a systematic study of carbon incorporation in Ta2O5 and its effect on the material and electrical properties of Ta2O5, a promising replacement for silicon oxide in embedded dynamic random access memory applications. Using pulsed-dc reactive and rf-magnetron sputtering of Ta2O5 performed in an argon/oxygen/carbon-dioxide plasma, we have methodically doped the Ta2O5 films with carbon. In thick (70 nm) Ta2O5 films, an optimal amount (0.8–1.4 at. %) of carbon doping reduced the leakage current to 10−8 A/cm2 at +3 MV/cm, a four orders of magnitude reduction compared to a leakage current of 10−4 A/cm2 in an undoped Ta2O5 film grown in similar conditions without CO2 in the plasma. This finding suggests that carbon doping can further improve the dielectric leakage property at an optimal concentration. X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy analysis showed the presence of carbonate (carbon bonded to three oxygen) in these electrically improved carbon-doped films. Analysis by high-resolution transmission ele...