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Institute
BTU
The authors propose the analysis of surface height histograms as a tool for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) growth characterization in the initial stage of the process. ALD of HfO2 on a
Si(100)/SiO2 substrate was investigated in situ by ultra high vacuum atomic force microscope working in noncontact mode. The ALD cycles, made by using tetrakis-di-methyl-amido-Hf and H2O as precursors, were performed at 230 C. After each ALD cycle, the relation between the film growth
and the root mean square surface roughness was studied. Parameters equivalent to HfO2 layer
thickness, coverage, and surface roughness of the substrate and deposited material can be calculated
in the proposed routine.
In this contribution we report on our in-situ2 cycle-by-cycle (up to the 25 cycles) investigation of the HfO2 atomic layer deposition (ALD) process using the method of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). We used Tetrakis-Dimethyl-Amino-Hafnium (TDMA-Hf) and H2O as precursors and p-type Si wafer with native oxide as a substrate. The XPS measurements were carried out at BESSY II in Berlin with primary energies of 150 eV and 640 eV and the EELS measurements were done with a primary energy of 50 eV. We measured the O1s, Si2p core level and the valence band including the Hf 4f core level. From the Hf4f to Si2p ratios taken at each energy we developed a growth model for the first monolayer and for the following layers too. From our data we conclude, that in the first monolayer up to the fourth ALD cycle an island growth occurs. The height of these islands is about 0,5nm. After the first monolayer is completed, a layer- by-layer growth can be expected. In order to proof this observation we have simulated the Hf/Si ratio for different excitation energies and found a very good agreement with our measurement data. The EELS data especially the evaluation of the loss function onset confirm our growth model.
In this contribution we report on our in-situ cycle-by-cycle (up to 10 cycles) investigations of the HfO2 ALD process using the methods of EELS and UPS.
We used TDMA-Hf as a precursor and p-type Si wafer with natural oxide as the substrate. The EELS measurements were done with a primary energy of 52,5 eV and the UPS measurements with He I (21,218 eV).
The change in the onset of the loss function is readily observed. Already after two cycles the value approach to the bulk value of HfO2. Upon ALD growth there is a remarkable decrease in the intensity of states within the gap. They are rather smooth and saturate after 10 cycles. With UPS we follow the variation of the VB onset and changes in the secondary electron onset. We summarize our data in a band diagram not based on bulk values but on cycle dependent quantities.
With these cycle-by-cycle experiments we study the initial growth of HfO2 especially in the very first cycles.
Atomic layer deposition of HfO2 onto SiO2 substrates investigated in-situ by non-contact UHV/AFM
(2010)
We investigated in-situ the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of HfO2 onto SiO2 substrates with ultra high vacuum (UHV) non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM). The ALD process was started after detailed analysis of the initial Si(001)/SiO2 substrate. The ALD cycles, made by using tetrakis-di-methyl-amido-Hf (TDMAHf) and water as precursors, were performed on the SiO2 substrate maintained at 230 ∘C. We studied the relation between the film growth and the root mean square surface roughness, surface skewness, kurtosis, fractal dimension and correlation length. In the initial stages of the ALD process with our analysis of the surface height histograms we were capable of determination: HfO2 layer thickness, surface coverage and surface roughness of a substrate and deposited material. Observation of the surface height histograms evolution during deposition allowed us to verify conformal and effective ALD growth on SiO2 substrate. With this detailed analysis of the surface topography we confirmed the completion of the first HfO2 layer after four ALD cycles.