Enhanced electrical properties of ZrO2-TiN based capacitors by introducing ultrathin metal oxides

Abstract

Owing to the scaling down of dynamic random-access-memory, the development of new high-k dielectrics as well as the reduction in the equivalent-oxide-thickness value using ZrO2 and TiN electrode-based capacitors have become crucial. Because the unwanted interfacial layer between ZrO2 and TiN electrodes can induce the degradation of electrical properties, we propose a new approach for improving capacitor properties by introducing ultrathin metal oxides as the buffers. Each ultrathin TiO2, Ta2O5, and ZnO is inserted between ZrO2 thin films and the top or bottom electrodes, and the variations in their electrical properties are investigated. We discovered that the electrical properties of ZrO2-based capacitors, such as the dielectric constant and leakage current density, can be improved by introducing certain types of buffers without requiring a noble metal electrode and higher-k dielectrics. Furthermore, we discovered that the EOT scaling of approximately 0.15 nm is achievable only through the introduction of the appropriate buffer. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.