DataVXACS Applied Electronic MaterialsPaper
journal article·2021-08-24

Dielectric Breakdown in Single-Crystal Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Alok Ranjan, Nagarajan Raghavan, Matthew Holwill, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Kostya S. Novoselov, Kin Leong Pey, Sean J. O’Shea

ACS Applied Electronic Materials· Volume 3· Issue 8
Publisher page
Source abstract

Abstract

We undertake a dielectric breakdown failure analysis of thin hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) by conduction atomic force microscopy. The breakdown field is 21 MV cm–1 for 3 nm-thick h-BN, and the breakdown voltage statistics follows a tight monomodal Weibull distribution, indicating the material suitability as a gate dielectric. Breakdown effects extend over an area of ∼100 nm diameter and evolve by defect generation in the h-BN, with increasing conductance under repeated stressing; but the breakdown current–voltage (I–V) curves differ from conventional ultrathin SiO2 and HfO2 films. Specifically, there are indications that 2D layering is influencing the breakdown as follows: (i) Fowler–Nordheim fitting of successive I–V curves after stressing often proceeds in discrete monolayer thickness values of ∼0.3 nm, an effect that we propose arises from electrical “shorting” between adjacent layers, and (ii) the Weibull slope decreases as film thickness increases, indicating that the defect generation is not random but occurs preferentially at specific locations.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Graphene research and applications · 2D Materials and Applications · MXene and MAX Phase Materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore 487372, Singapore

Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom

Research Centre for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan

International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044, Japan

Department of Material Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117575, Singapore

Agency for Science Technology and Research, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634, Singapore

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science · National Institute for Materials Science

References (35)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1126/science.aac943910.1126/science.aac9439 ↗
2. 10.1021/acsnano.0c0362510.1021/acsnano.0c03625 ↗
3. 10.1177/109158181561779310.1177/1091581815617793 ↗
4. 10.1038/s41563-020-0616-910.1038/s41563-020-0616-9 ↗
5. 10.1021/acsami.6b0987510.1021/acsami.6b09875 ↗
6. 10.1038/srep0328710.1038/srep03287 ↗
7. 10.1038/nnano.2010.17210.1038/nnano.2010.172 ↗
8. 10.1038/nmat113410.1038/nmat1134 ↗
9. 10.1126/science.121846110.1126/science.1218461 ↗
10. 10.1038/s41598-018-21138-x10.1038/s41598-018-21138-x ↗
11. 10.1021/nl300220510.1021/nl3002205 ↗
12. 10.1063/1.366204310.1063/1.3662043 ↗
13. 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b0262510.1021/acs.nanolett.5b02625 ↗
14. 10.1063/1.497255510.1063/1.4972555 ↗
15. 10.1021/acsami.6b0642510.1021/acsami.6b06425 ↗
16. 10.1021/nn506645q10.1021/nn506645q ↗
17. 10.1126/science.aau213210.1126/science.aau2132 ↗
18. 10.1021/acsami.0c1710710.1021/acsami.0c17107 ↗
19. 10.1088/0268-1242/14/10/30210.1088/0268-1242/14/10/302 ↗
20. 10.1109/ted.2004.83598610.1109/ted.2004.835986 ↗
21. Wu E. Y. · 1999 · 5710.1109/RELPHY.1999.761593 ↗
22. Ranjan A. · 2020 · 1
23. 10.4236/wjcmp.2016.6201810.4236/wjcmp.2016.62018 ↗
24. McPherson J. · 2002 · 63310.1109/IEDM.2002.1175919 ↗
25. 10.1109/LED.2009.203361710.1109/LED.2009.2033617 ↗
26. 10.1109/TED.2002.80561210.1109/TED.2002.805612 ↗
27. Padovani, A.; Larcher, L. Time-dependent dielectric breakdown statistics in SiO2 and HfO2 dielectrics: Insights from a multi-scale modeling approach. In 2018 IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS); 11–15 March 2018; 2018; pp. 3A.2-1-3A.2-7.10.1109/IRPS.2018.8353552 ↗
28. 10.1002/aelm.20170050610.1002/aelm.201700506 ↗
29. 10.1002/adfm.20190065710.1002/adfm.201900657 ↗
30. Ranjan, A. Nanoscale Noise Spectroscopy and Breakdown Studies in Hafnium Dioxide and 2D Hexagonal Boron Nitride Dielectrics. PhD Thesis, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore, 2019.
31. 10.1088/1361-648x/ab4e5d10.1088/1361-648x/ab4e5d ↗
32. 10.1103/PhysRevB.75.09410410.1103/PhysRevB.75.094104 ↗
33. 10.1021/acsami.7b1094810.1021/acsami.7b10948 ↗
34. 10.1002/aelm.20190011510.1002/aelm.201900115 ↗
35. 10.1016/0166-6622(83)80051-110.1016/0166-6622(83)80051-1 ↗