High-k Gate Dielectrics

The requirements, current status of fabrication/processing, electrical properties and reliability issues of high-k-dielectrics are studied. The underlying physics for these undesirable properties is governed primarily by the ionic nature of the transition metal (TM) oxide. TM-based high-k dielectrics materials are typically deposited on crystalline silicon rather than thermally grown. The electrical properties and reliability must be investigated further before high-k materials become an integral part of nanoscale CMOS devices.