Electrical characteristics and step coverage of ZrO2 films deposited by atomic layer deposition for through-silicon via and metal–insulator–metal applications

The electrical characteristics and step coverage of ZrO2 films deposited by atomic layer deposition were investigated for through-silicon via (TSV) and metal–insulator–metal applications at temperatures below 300 °C. ZrO2 films were able to be conformally deposited on the scallops of 50-µm-diameter, 100-µm-deep TSV holes. The mean breakdown field of 30-nm-thick ZrO2 films on 30-nm-thick Ta(N) increased about 41% (from 2.7 to 3.8 MV/cm) upon H2 plasma treatment. With the plasma treatment, the breakdown field of the film increased and the temperature coefficient of capacitance decreased significantly, probably as a result of the decreased carbon concentration in the film.