Deposition of HfO[sub 2] Thin Films in HfI[sub 4]-Based Processes

This study describes deposition of thin films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) using as the metal precursor. The layer-by-layer growth was also studied in real time with a quartz crystal microbalance. In ALD, the deposition rate was independent of the growth temperature, whereas in CVD, an exponential rate increase was observed. Monoclinic was deposited on MgO and poly-Si substrates in a wide temperature range, and the choice of substrate had a strong influence on the orientation of the films. Epitaxial growth of was observed on MgO(001) substrates at 400-500°C in the ALD process and at 500-600°C in the CVD process. The electrical characterization showed that the crystallinity of the films had a stronger influence on the dielectric constant than did the film thickness. © 2002 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.