Properties of HfO[sub 2] Thin Films Grown by ALD from Hafnium tetrakis(ethylmethylamide) and Water

films were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from and on Si(100) substrates. The thickness of 5-45 nm thick films on HF-etched Si was proportional to the number of growth cycles. Crystallization was observed in the 30-45 nm thick films, containing the monoclinic polymorph. Films with thicknesses lower than 10 nm were amorphous. The effective permittivity of the dielectric films varied between 6.5 and 17. The leakage and capacitive characteristics did not show any clear dependence on the growth temperature. © 2004 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.