Epitaxial growth of yttrium-stabilized HfO$_2$ high-k gate dielectric thin films on Si

Epitaxial yttrium-stabilized HfO$_2$ thin films were deposited on p-type (100) Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition at a relatively lower substrate temperature of 550. Transmission electron microscopy observation revealed a fixed orientation relationship between the epitaxial film and Si; that is, (100)Si.(100)HfO$_2$ and [001]Si/[001]HfO$_2$. The film/Si interface is not atomically flat, suggesting possible interfacial reaction and diffusion, X-ray photoelectron spectrum analysis also revealed the interfacial reaction and diffusion evidenced by Hf silicate and Hf-Si bond formation at the interface. The epitaxial growth of the yttrium stabilized HfO$_2$ thin film on bare Si is via a direct growth mechanism without involoving the reaction between Hf atoms and SiO$_2$ layer. High-frequency capacitance-voltage measurement on an as-grown 40-A yttrium-stabilized HfO$_2$ epitaxial film yielded an dielectric constant of about 14 and equivalent oxide thickness to SiO$_2$ of 12 A. The leakage current density is 7.0${\times}$ 10e-2 A/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at 1V gate bias voltage.