CAREER: Ultra-High-Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition of Al2O3/ZrO2 Alloys

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT PI: Bridget Rogers Institution: Vanderbilt University Proposal Number: 0092792 Successful replacement of SiO2-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) gate dielectrics by a high-permitivity dielectric is a critical step in the continued drive to build smaller, faster, lower-power, more-integrated circuits. The planned research addresses this challenge by integrating studies of extremely thin (<10nm) Al2O3/ZrO2 alloy film deposition, synthesis and evaluation of precursors, determination of reaction mechanisms and kinetic expressions, characterization of material properties of the deposited films, and measurement of the films' electrical properties via testing of capacitor and transistor structures. The goal of the CAREER project is to develop a material system that has the proper materials and electrical properties that are required of a gate dielectric and that can meet the processing and integration challenges of a microelectronic device process flow. The educational component of the work will involve integrating the MOSFET process, developed as part of the research program, as laboratory modules into an existing course on semiconductor materials processing. It will also be used to design a new laboratory course for Vanderbilt's Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Materials Science.