Dielectric properties of thin solid films formed on silicon

We report on the measurement of the frequency-dependent complex permittivit y, epsilon (omega) = epsilon' (omega)-i epsilon"(omega), over the frequency range, 30MHz to 6 GHz, of silicon wafers and of thin dielectric films form ed on silicon. Measurements, as a function of temperature and time treatmen ts, were obtained by means of an HP Network Analyzer and dielectric probe a nd the resulting epsilon'(omega) and epsilon"(omega) plots for the silicon wafers are shown to have a Debye-type [1] profile, thereby indicating that the associated polarization mechanism is of the orientational variety. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.