Surface and interfacial reaction study of half cycle atomic layer deposited HfO2 on chemically treated GaSb surfaces

An in situ half-cycle atomic layer deposition/X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study was conducted in order to investigate the evolution of the HfO2 dielectric interface with GaSb(100) surfaces after sulfur passivation and HCl etching, designed to remove the native oxides. With the first pulses of tetrakis(dimethylamido)hafnium(IV) and water, a decrease in the concentration of antimony oxide states present on the HCl-etched surface is observed, while antimony sulfur states diminished below the XPS detection limit on sulfur passivated surface. An increase in the amount of gallium oxide/sulfide is seen, suggesting oxygen or sulfur transfers from antimony to gallium during antimony oxides/sulfides decomposition.