LEAKAGE CURRENT REDUCTION IN CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITED TA2O5 FILMS BY RAPID THERMAL ANNEALING IN N2O

This study aims to improve the electrical characteristics and reliabil ity of low-pressure chemical vapor deposited (LPCVD) Ta2O5 films by de veloping a new postdeposition single-step annealing technique. Experim ental results indicate that excited oxygen atoms generated by N2O deco mposition can effectively repair the oxygen vacancies in the as-deposi ted CVD Ta2O5 film, thereby resulting in a remarkable reduction of the film's leakage current. Two other post-deposition annealing condition s are compared: rapid thermal O-2 annealing and furnace dry-O-2 anneal ing. The comparison reveals that RTN(2)O annealing has the lowest leak age current, superior thermal stability of electrical characteristics and the best time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) reliability.