Chemical structure of the interface in ultrathin HfO2/Si films

The chemical states of the HfO2/Si (100) interface were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The depth distributions of Hf chemical states showed that the Hf 4f binding energy remains unchanged with the depth and there is no signature of more than one Hf-O state. These facts strongly suggest that the chemical state of the interfacial layer is not Hf-silicate, as previously believed. Instead, the compositions are mainly Si2O3 and SiO2, judging from the deconvolution of Si 2p spectra. The dielectric constant κ=4.8 of the interfacial layer is also consistent with the above conclusions.