Tuning the electrical properties of zirconium oxide thin films

ZrO 2 films obtained using plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition exhibit various electrical properties tuned by the flow rate ratio of O2 to precursor-carrying Ar (O2/Ar), which controls the hydrocarbon incorporation in the films and the interfacial layer formation. As-deposited ZrO2 films obtained in oxygen-rich plasmas (O2/Ar⩾1) showed good electrical properties, including an overall dielectric constant of 16, a flatband voltage shift of −24 mV, an interfacial trap density of ∼1011 cm−2 eV−1, and a leakage current density of 3.3×10−6 A/cm2 at an equivalent oxide thickness of 25 Å, suitable for metal–oxide–semiconductor device applications.