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Effect of Oxidation Temperature on Physical and Electrical Properties of Sm2O3 Thin-Film Gate Oxide on Si Substrate

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Abstract

Thermal oxidation of 150-nm sputtered pure samarium metal film on silicon substrate has been carried out in oxygen ambient at various temperatures (600°C to 900°C) for 15 min and the effect of the oxidation temperature on the structural, chemical, and electrical properties of the resulting Sm2O3 layers investigated. The crystallinity of the Sm2O3 films and the existence of an interfacial layer were evaluated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman analysis. The crystallite size and microstrain of Sm2O3 were estimated by Williamson–Hall (W–H) plot analysis, with comparison of the former with the crystallite size of Sm2O3 as calculated using the Scherrer equation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy analysis was carried out to investigate the cross-sectional morphology and chemical distribution of selected regions. The activation energy or growth rate of each stacked layer was calculated from Arrhenius plots. The surface roughness and topography of the Sm2O3 layers were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. A physical model based on semipolycrystalline nature of the interfacial layer is suggested and explained. Results supporting such a model were obtained by FTIR, XRD, Raman, EDX, and HRTEM analyses. Electrical characterization revealed that oxidation temperature at 700°C yielded the highest breakdown voltage, lowest leakage current density, and highest barrier height value.

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Acknowledgements

This project is funded by University of Malaya Research Grant (UMRG) Nos. RP013D-13AET and RP024A-13AET, Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) Grant No. FP010-2013B, and Postgraduate Research Grant (PPP) No. PG048-2014A. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science, University of Malaya for providing the facilities and resources necessary for this research.

Authors’ contributions

K.H.G. was involved in experimental design, data acquisition, data interpretation and analysis, and drafting and revision of the manuscript. Y.H.W. and A.S.M.A.H. were involved in revising the manuscript critically for important intellectual content and gave final approval for the version submitted for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Kian Heng Goh, A. S. M. A. Haseeb & Yew Hoong Wong

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  1. Kian Heng Goh
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  2. A. S. M. A. Haseeb
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  3. Yew Hoong Wong
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Correspondence to Yew Hoong Wong.

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Goh, K.H., Haseeb, A.S.M.A. & Wong, Y.H. Effect of Oxidation Temperature on Physical and Electrical Properties of Sm2O3 Thin-Film Gate Oxide on Si Substrate. J. Electron. Mater. 45, 5302–5312 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-4694-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-4694-z

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