Application of XPS time-dependent measurement to the analysis of charge trapping phenomena in HfAlO films

Abstract We found that the Si 2p photoelectron peak binding energy of a Si substrate covered with a 3 nm thick HfAlOx film increased to a saturation value during X-ray irradiation. This shift towards a higher binding energy indicates an increase in the amount of positive charges in the film, and the density of hole traps is estimated to be significantly higher than that in a SiO2 film. Before X-ray irradiation, the interface Fermi level coincided with the valence-band maximum of the Si substrate, which indicates that the Si surface band bends upward. This means that there were negative charges already in the film before X-ray irradiation. Investigating the effects of the interlayer beneath the HfAlOx film on these trapped charges reveals that the observed hole trapping and initial electron trapping are intrinsic to the HfAlOx film.