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Laser-Induced Phase Control of Morphotropic Phase Boundary Hafnium-Zirconium Oxide

  • 0Center for Semiconductor Technology Convergence, Department of Electrical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Cheongam-ro 77, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, South Korea.
Acs Applied Materials & Interfaces +

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January 2, 2025

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January 2, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new laser scanning method precisely controls ferroelectric phase, achieving a 3.5 Å equivalent oxide thickness and a dielectric constant of 68 Å. This process significantly reduces leakage current in HZO films for advanced electronic devices.

Area Of Science

  • Materials Science
  • Solid State Physics
  • Electrical Engineering

Background

  • Ferroelectric materials are crucial for advanced electronic devices, but controlling their phase and electrical properties remains challenging.
  • Existing annealing methods like Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) have limitations in achieving optimal ferroelectric characteristics.
  • Hafnium Zirconium Oxide (HZO) is a promising ferroelectric material, but its performance is highly dependent on processing conditions.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To develop and optimize a novel Continuous-Wave Laser Scanning Annealing (CW-LSA) process for precise control of ferroelectric phase in HZO films.
  • To investigate the impact of CW-LSA on the electrical properties, including equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) and dielectric constant (κ), of HZO films.
  • To compare the performance of HZO films processed with CW-LSA against those treated with optimized RTA.

Main Methods

  • A novel Continuous-Wave Laser Scanning Annealing (CW-LSA) process was developed and optimized for HZO films in a Metal-Ferroelectric-Metal (MFM) capacitor structure.
  • Electrical characterization was performed to determine key parameters such as equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), dielectric constant (κ), and leakage current density (Jg).
  • The performance of CW-LSA treated HZO films was compared to a reference group treated with an optimized Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) process.

Main Results

  • Optimized CW-LSA process achieved an equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of 3.5 Å and a high dielectric constant (κ) of 68 Å for HZO films.
  • The leakage current density (Jg) for CW-LSA treated HZO was 4.6 × 10⁻⁵ A/cm² at +0.8 V, which is four times lower than the RTA reference group.
  • The 6 nm HZO films exhibited outstanding electrical characteristics attributed to the stable formation of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) structure.

Conclusions

  • The CW-LSA process offers a novel and effective method for delicately controlling the phase of ferroelectric materials like HZO.
  • CW-LSA enables the achievement of superior electrical properties, including reduced leakage current and enhanced dielectric performance, in HZO films.
  • The directional scanning nature of CW-LSA promotes the stable formation of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), leading to improved device characteristics.

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