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The topic of thin films is an area of increasing importance in materials science, electrical engineering and applied solid state physics; with both research and industrial applications in microelectronics, computer manufacturing, and physical devices. Advanced, high-performance computers, high-definition TV, broadband imaging systems, flat-panel displays, robotic systems, and medical electronics and diagnostics are a few examples of the miniaturized device technologies that depend on the utilization of thin film materials. This book presents an in-depth overview of the novel developments made by the scientific leaders in the area of modern dielectric films for advanced microelectronic applications. It contains clear, concise explanations of material science of dielectric films and their problem for device operation, including high-k, low-k, medium-k dielectric films and also specific features and requirements for dielectric films used in the packaging technology. A broad range of related topics are covered, from physical principles to design, fabrication, characterization, and applications of novel dielectric films.

Following the observation of the large isotopic effect in D2 passivated gate dielectrics @J. Lyding, K. Hess, and I. C. Kizilyalli, Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 2526 ~1996!#, we studied the behavior of deuterium in ultrathin SiO2 films by nuclear reaction analysis techniques. Accurate concentrations of deuterium in the films, deuterium depth distributions, and deuterium removal from the film upon thermal annealing in vacuum have been examined. For D2 passivated films, we found rather high concentrations of deuterium near the SiO2 /Si interface, well above both the solubility of deuterium in silica and the maximum concentration of electrically active defects at the interface. Our results suggest a complex multistep mechanism of thermally activated deuterium removal from the film, which probably consists of D detrapping, diffusion, and desorption steps.