J. Robertson
2011
Citations
1
Influential Citations
17
Citations
Journal
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Abstract
The scaling of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors has led to the silicon dioxide layer used as a gate dielectric being so thin (1.4 nm) that its leakage current is too large. It is being replaced by a physically thicker layer of higher dielectric constant or ‘high-K’ oxides such as hafnium oxide and hafnium silicate. Intensive research was needed to develop these oxides as high-quality electronic materials. This chapter covers both scientific and technological issues – the choice of oxides, their deposition, their structural and metallurgical behavior, atomic diffusion, interface structure, their electronic structure, bonding, band offsets, electronic defects, charge trapping and conduction mechanisms, reliability, and mobility degradation. The high-K oxides must be implemented in conjunction with metal-gate electrodes, whose development has been an equally difficult problem. Work function control by metal-gate electrodes and by oxide dipole layers is discussed.