Electrical characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor diodes with ZrO2/SiO2 dielectric films

Abstract
Thin films of ZrO2 vacuum‐deposited on Si(100) substrates were oxidized in dry O2 at 800 °C and then analyzed by infrared absorption and Auger electron spectroscopy. It was found that the SiO2 layer was formed at the ZrO2/Si interface. Mo/ZrO2/SiO2/p‐Si(100) metal‐insulator‐semiconductor diodes were electrically characterized. The static dielectric constant of the ZrO2 layer decreases from 21.1 ε0 to about 15.5 ε0 due to the crystallization of amorphous ZrO2 during the oxidation. The SiO2 layer formed at the ZrO2/Si interface was found to lower the leakage current through the dielectric film.