Structural and optical properties of ZnO films grown on silicon and their applications in MOS devices in conjunction with ZrO2 as a gate dielectric

Photoluminescence (PL) properties of undoped ZnO thin films grown by rf magnetron sputtering on silicon substrates have been investigated. ZnO/Si substrates are characterized by Rutherford backscattering (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). ZrO2 thin films have been deposited on ZnO using microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition at a low temperature (150°C). Using metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) capacitor structures, the reliability and the leakage current characteristics of ZrO2 films have been studied both at room and high temperatures. Schottky conduction mechanism is found to dominate the current conduction at a high temperature. Good electrical and reliability properties suggest the suitability of deposited ZrO2 thin films as an alternative as gate dielectric on ZnO/n-Si heterostructure for future device applications.