Characteristics of Ce-Doped ZrO[sub 2] Dielectric Films Prepared by a Solution Deposition Process

The microstructural and electrical properties of sol–gel deposited ultrathin films with different Ce contents ( , 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) were studied using various characterization tools. Ce doping reduced the crystallization (densification) temperature and increased the dielectric constant of the film. There was no degradation of the hysteresis characteristics, and a systematic negative shift in the flatband voltage was observed by incorporating Ce atoms. Leakage current measurements showed no detrimental effects of Ce doping up to , and the conduction mechanism analyses revealed that the films follow a Poole–Frenkel (PF) conduction, exhibiting a systematic increase in the linear slope of the PF plot possibly due to the decrease in dielectric trap sites with increasing Ce content.