High-k (k=30) amorphous hafnium oxide films from high rate room temperature deposition

Amorphous hafnium oxide (HfOx) is deposited by sputtering while achieving a very high k∼30. Structural characterization suggests that the high k is a consequence of a previously unreported cubiclike short range order in the amorphous HfOx (cubic k∼30). The films also possess a high electrical resistivity of 1014 Ω cm, a breakdown strength of 3 MV cm−1, and an optical gap of 6.0 eV. Deposition at room temperature and a high deposition rate (∼25 nm min−1) makes these high-k amorphous HfOx films highly advantageous for plastic electronics and high throughput manufacturing.