STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALLINE CEO2 FILMS FORMEDBY METALORGANIC DECOMPOSITION

Crystalline CeO2 films were formed on a Si (100) substrate by metalorg anic decomposition at temparatures ranging from 600 degrees C to 800 d egrees C. As-deposited films were in the amorphous state and were comp letely transformed to crystalline CeO2 above 600 degrees C. However, d uring crystallization in oxygen atomosphere, a reaction between CeO2 a nd Si occurred at the interface, which resulted in the formation of a thin interfacial SiO2 layer. Capacitance-voltage measurement on these films showed good dielectric properties with a dielectric constant of 15, which is more than three times higher than that of SiO2. The modif ied structure of CeO2/SiO2/Si is expected to be suitable for the diele ctric layer in an integrated circuit, in place of conventional dielect ric films such as those of SiO2 or Si3N4.