Improved TDDB Reliability and Interface States in 5-nm Hf<sub>0.5</sub>Zr<sub>0.5</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Ferroelectric Technologies Using NH<sub>3</sub> Plasma and Microwave Annealing
Yi‐Hsuan Chen, Chun-Jung Su, Ting-Hsin Yang, Chenming Hu, Tian‐Li Wu
Abstract
This article reports that the enhanced forward gate bias time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) reliability and interface quality are achieved in 5-nm ferroelectric Hf <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.5</sub> Zr <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.5</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> (HZO) technologies by using the NH <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> plasma interfacial layer (IL) treatment and microwave annealing (MWA). An orthorhombic crystalline phase is observed in the annealed HZO film with NH <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> plasma IL treatment and MWA, and NH <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> plasma IL treatment can suppress Hf/Zr interdiffusion. Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) subjected to NH <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> plasma IL treatment and 2100-W MWA also have a higher extrapolated operating voltage for a ten-year lifetime at 0.01% failure and lower interface state density (D <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">it</sub> ) compared to the devices subjected to only rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 600 °C. Therefore, NH <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> plasma treatment and MWA are effective for improving the TDDB reliability and interface quality of the ultrathin ferroelectric HZO.