Interfacial reaction depending on the stack structure of Al2O3 and HfO2 during film growth and postannealing

Interfacial reactions as a function of the stack structure of Al2O3 and HfO2 grown on Si by atomic-layer deposition were examined by various physical and electrical measurements. In the case of an Al2O3 film with a buffer layer of HfO2, reactions between the Al2O3 and Si layers were suppressed, while a HfO2 film with an Al2O3 buffer layer on the Si readily interacted with Si, forming a Hf–Al–Si–O compound. The thickness of the interfacial layer increased dramatically after an annealing treatment in which a buffer layer of Al2O3 was used, while no change in thickness was observed in the film in which a HfO2 buffer layer was used. Moreover, the stoichiometric change caused by a different reaction process altered the chemical state of the films, which affected charge trapping and the interfacial trap density.