Characterization of Zirconium Silicate Gate Dielectrics Deposited on Si(100) Using Zr(NEt[sub 2])[sub 4] and Si(O[sup n]Bu)[sub 4]

Zirconium silicate films were deposited by using a combination of precursors: tetrakis(diethylamido)zirconium and orthosilicate An atomically flat interface of silicate/silicon was observed with no interfacial silicon oxide layers and impurity concentrations were less than 0.1 atom % (below detection limits). Zirconium silicate films with were amorphous up to 800°C and, above 900°C, phase separation of the films occurred into crystal and amorphous phases. Dielectric constant of the Zr-silicate films was about 7.3. Hysteresis in capacitance-voltage measurements was less than 0.02 V. The leakage current density was at a bias of 1.0 V.