Polycrystallization effects on the nanoscale electrical properties of high-k dielectrics

Abstract

In this study, atomic force microscopy-related techniques have been used to investigate, at the nanoscale, how the polycrystallization of an Al₂O₃-based gate stack, after a thermal annealing process, affects the variability of its electrical properties. The impact of an electrical stress on the electrical conduction and the charge trapping of amorphous and polycrystalline Al₂O₃ layers have been also analyzed