Atomic layer deposited beryllium oxide: Effective passivation layer for III-V metal/oxide/semiconductor devices

Electrical and physical characteristics of the atomic layer deposited beryllium oxide (BeO) grown on the Si and GaAs substrates were evaluated as a barrier/passivation layer in the III-V devices. Compared to Al2O3, BeO exhibits lower interface defect density and hysteresis, and smaller frequency dispersion and leakage current density at the same effective oxide thickness, as well as an excellent self-cleaning effect. These dielectric characteristics combined with its advantageous intrinsic properties, such as high thermal stability, large energy band-gap(10.6 eV), effective diffusion barrier, and low intrinsic structural defects, make BeO an excellent candidate for the interfacial passivation layer applications in the channel III-V devices.