Crystalline zirconia oxide on silicon as alternative gate dielectrics

Epitaxial crystalline yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) oxide films were gr own on silicon wafers by the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The in terface of crystalline YSZ film in contact with silicon was found to be ato mically sharp and commensurately crystallized without an amorphous layer. A n x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile and transmission electron microscopy investigation showed that no SiO2 formed at the interface. For a film with electrical equivalent oxide thickness (t(eox)) 14.6 Angstrom, th e leakage current is about 1.1 x 10(-3) A/cm(2) at 1 V bias voltage. The hy steresis and interface state density in this film are measured to be less t han 10 mV and 2.0 x 10(11) eV(-1) cm(-2), respectively. (C) 2001 American I nstitute of Physics.