Remarkably High Dielectric Constant and Capacitance Density by Ni/ZrO₂/TiN Using Nanosecond Laser and Surface Plasma...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Semiconductor Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is standard for semiconductor processing but its millisecond rise time is inadequate for advanced nanometer devices.
• Developing faster annealing methods is crucial for next-generation electronics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate ultra-fast pulsed laser annealing as an alternative to RTA for semiconductor device fabrication.
• To achieve record-high dielectric properties in Ni/ZrO2/TiN capacitors using a novel laser annealing approach.

Main Methods:

• Utilized sub-energy bandgap 532 nm ultra-fast 15 nanosecond (ns) pulsed laser annealing on Ni/ZrO2/TiN capacitors.
• Investigated the surface plasma effect generated on TiN metal as the primary annealing mechanism.
• Analyzed material properties using X-ray diffraction.

Main Results:

• Achieved a record-high dielectric constant (high-κ) of 67.8 and capacitance density of 75 fF/μm².
• Demonstrated effective annealing of ZrO2 at surface temperatures up to 870 °C via laser energy density of 16.2 J/cm².
• Observed enhanced crystallinity of cubic-phase ZrO2, correlating with improved dielectric performance.

Conclusions:

• Ultra-fast pulsed laser annealing, leveraging the surface plasma effect, significantly enhances dielectric properties of ZrO2.
• This method overcomes RTA limitations and is vital for monolithic three-dimensional device integration in advanced integrated circuits.