Rapid thermal technique was used in the post-metallization annealing (
PMA) of thin gate oxide devices. A suitable choice of the rise rate, t
he setting temperature, and the hold time in the rapid thermal PMA (RT
PMA) process is helpful to improve the oxide quality. It was found tha
t the samples subjected to appropriate RTPMA conditions exhibit almost
the same initial characteristic in flatband voltage V-FB and midgap i
nterface trap density D-itm as those subjected to conventional furnace
PMA (FPMA). However, the RTPMA samples exhibit longer time-to-breakdo
wn t(HD) and higher time-zero-dielectric-breakdown (TZDB) field E(BD)
than the FPMA ones. In addition to the known spiking effect caused by
aluminum penetration into silicon, which seriously degrades the breakd
own property, formation of aluminum oxide near the Al/SiO2 interface i
n the early stage and then aluminum silicon alloy in the later stage w
as proposed to explain the experimental observation.