Effect of deuterium postmetal annealing on the reliability characteristics of an atomic-layer-deposited HfO[sub 2]/SiO[sub 2] stack gate dielectrics.

The characteristics of atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) HfO[sub 2](30 Å)/SiO[sub 2](10 Å) stacks gate dielectrics were investigated after annealing in a deuterium (D[sub 2]) ambient. Compared with oxides annealed in a forming gas containing hydrogen (H[sub 2]), the stack dielectrics annealed in D[sub 2] ambient exhibited various advantages such as less charge trapping, less generation of interface state density (D[sub it]), a larger charge-to-breakdown (Q[sub bd]), and longer time-dependent dielectric breakdown characteristics under conditions of electrical stress. The improved reliability can be attributed to the strength of the deuterium bond. This deuterium postmetal annealing of a high-k gate dielectric has considerable potential for future use in ultralarge-scale integration device applications. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]