In this work, the effects of the atomic-layer deposition
(ALD)-derived
Al2O3 passivation layer with different growth
cycles on the interfacial chemistry and electrical performance of
sputtering-driven ErSmO/InP metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors
have been comparatively investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization have confirmed
that the ALD-driven Al2O3 passivation layer
with 20 growth cycles could form a flat dielectric layer and effectively
suppress the diffusion of In and P elements at the InP interface.
Meanwhile, the ErSmO/Al2O3/InP gate stack with
20 growth cycles exhibited optimal electrical properties, including
a large dielectric constant of 37.42, a minimum interface state density
(D
it) of 5.43 × 1011 eV–1 cm–2, and a low leakage current
of 3.95 × 10–6 A/cm–2. The
leakage current conduction mechanisms of InP-MOS capacitors measured
at room temperature and low temperature have also been systematically
analyzed. Particularly, low-frequency noise (LFN) is used to evaluate
trap levels in InP-MOS capacitors. All experimental results have demonstrated
that the ErSmO/Al2O3/InP gate stack has potential
applications in future ultrahigh-speed and high-frequency microelectronic
devices.