Structural degradation of thin HfO2 film on Ge during the postdeposition annealing

Securing the thermal robustness of thin hafnium oxide (HfO2) film on the semiconductor surface is an important technical issue in the fabrication of the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor devices, as the HfO2-based high-k gate stacks usually undergo high-temperature processes. In this study, the structural development of thin HfO2 film on a Ge surface during postdeposition annealing in an ultrahigh vacuum was examined to explore the origin for the initial degradation of thin HfO2 film. Void nucleation and subsequent two-dimensional void growth take place at 780–840 °C, while the chemical composition of the remaining Hf oxide is virtually stable. Both the void nucleation and growth processes show similar larger activation energy of about 10 eV. Based on the observed manner of void growth and the estimated activation energies, the authors propose that mass transport on the HfO2 surface is responsible for void nucleation in the HfO2 films on Ge. The authors also compare the present results with the previous studies on HfO2/Si structures, and suggest that similar surface process leads to the local Hf silicidation.