Interlayer composition of HfO ₂/Si(001) films

Experiments designed to determine interlayer composition using medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) were described. An analysis that avoided reliance on theoretical values of energy straggling and eliminated the effects of surface and interfacial roughness was presented. The lack of change in the HF backscatter peak after interlayer growth by in situ oxidation which indicated extremely low levels of Hf incorporation were analyzed. The study showed that silicate formation is not a significant factor in determining capacitances of HfO 2/Si(001) structures, provided that the deposition techniques do not involve creation of a silicide as an intermediate step.