Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T03:12:21.725Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Characterization of High-k Dielectrics by Combined Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) and X-Ray Reflectometry (XRR)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

L. Sun ,
C. Defranoux ,
J.L. Stehle ,
P. Boher ,
P. Evrard ,
E. Bellandi  and
H. Bender
L. Sun
Affiliation:
SOPRA Inc., Westford, MA, USA
C. Defranoux
Affiliation:
SOPRA SA, 26 rue Pierre Joigneaux, 92270 Bois Colombes, France
J.L. Stehle
Affiliation:
SOPRA SA, 26 rue Pierre Joigneaux, 92270 Bois Colombes, France
P. Boher
Affiliation:
SOPRA SA, 26 rue Pierre Joigneaux, 92270 Bois Colombes, France
P. Evrard
Affiliation:
SOPRA SA, 26 rue Pierre Joigneaux, 92270 Bois Colombes, France
E. Bellandi
Affiliation:
STMicroelectronics, Via C. Olivetti 2, 20041 Agrate Brianza (MI), Italy
H. Bender
Affiliation:
IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Get access

Abstract

At present, new high-k dielectric materials are being intensively investigated to replace the silicon dioxide as gate dielectric for the next generation of electronic devices. Several candidate materials (such as ZrO2, HfO2, Al2O3) and deposition processes are currently under investigation. Because the layer thickness which is required in the next generations of devices is of the order of few nanometers, a precise determination and control of layer thickness will be mandatory. Although spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is well established non-contact, non-destructive and precise technique for determining thickness and optical properties of thin films, it becomes more difficult to obtain this information unambiguously and simultaneously for ultra-thin films with traditional SE alone because of possible high correlations between film structure and optical properties. The grazing x-ray reflectometry (XRR) is a complementary nondestructive optical technique and can be used to unambiguously determine ultra thin film thickness accurately. Combined with ellipsometry technique together, it will provide a promising way to characterize high-k gate dielectrics including thickness, roughness, interfacial layers and material composition information etc. In this paper, the principles for both SE and XRR will be briefly reviewed and limitation of each technique will be discussed. Following the high-k gate dielectric exploration and development, examples of using the combined SE/XRR techniques will be presented.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 786: Symposium E – Fundamentals of Novel Oxide/Semiconductor Interfaces , 2003 , E3.29
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Wallace, R. M. and Wilk, G., MRS Bulletin 27, (2002), 192–197.Google Scholar
2 Shannon, R. D., J. of Applied Physics 73, (1993), 348.Google Scholar
3 Haeni, J. H., Schlom, D. G., Balbashov, A. M., Uecker, R., Reiche, P., Freeouf, J. L., Lucovsky, G., Lim, S.-G., Kriventsov, S., and Jackson, T. N., Journal of Applied Physics 91, (2002), 4500.Google Scholar
4 Busch, B. W., Pluchery, O., Chabal, Y. J., Muller, D., A, , Opila, R. L., Kwo, R., and Garfunkel, E., MRS Bulletin 27, (2002), 206–211.Google Scholar
5 Boher, P., “Characterization of Ultra-thin high-k oxide layers,” (2001).Google Scholar
6 Boher, P., Piel, J. P., and Stehle, J. L., Journal of Crystal Growth 157, (1995), 73–79.Google Scholar
7 Boher, P. and Stehle, J. L., IEEE Semiconducting and Semi-Insulating Materials Conference, SIMC, (1996), 185–188.Google Scholar
8 Boher, P. and Stehle, J. L., Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings 406, (1996), 515–521.Google Scholar
9 Boher, P., Stehle, J. L., and Hennet, L., Thin Solid Films 294, (1997), 37–42.Google Scholar
10 Boher, P., Stehle, J. L., and Hennet, L., Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings 446, (1997), 369–376.Google Scholar
11 Boher, P., Luttmann, M., Stehle, J. L., and Hennet, L., Thin Solid Films 319, (1998), 67–72.Google Scholar
12 Boher, P., Evrard, P., Piel, J. P., Defranoux, C., and Stehle, J. L., Solid State Technology 44, (2001), 165–175.Google Scholar
13 Boher, P., Darragon, A., Defranoux, C., Fouere, J.-C., and Stehle, J.-L., in Precise and accurate characterization of DUV and V-UV phase shifting mask materials by combined V-UV spectroscopic ellipsometry and X-ray reflectometry, Monterey, CA, United States, 2002 (The International Society for Optical Engineering), p. 1324–1330.Google Scholar
14 Boher, P., Evrard, P., Piel, J. P., and Stehle, J. L., Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 303, (2002), 167–174.Google Scholar