• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2012

Electrical properties as a function of composition in silicon nitride ($SiN_x$) films grown at low temperatures ($<200^{\circ}C$) were studied for applications to photonic devices and thin film transistors. Both silicon-rich and nitrogen-rich compositions were successfully produced in final films by controlling the source gas mixing ratio, $R=[(N_2\;or\;NH_3)/SiH_4]$, and the RF plasma power. Depending on the film composition, the dielectric and optical properties of $SiN_x$ films varied substantially. Both the resistivity and breakdown field strength showed the maximum value at the stoichiometric composition (N/Si = 1.33), and degraded as the composition deviated to either side. The electrical properties degraded more rapidly when the composition shifted toward the silicon-rich side than toward the nitrogen-rich side. The composition shift from the silicon-rich side to the nitrogen-rich side accompanied the shift in the photoluminescence characteristic peak to a shorter wavelength, indicating an increase in the band gap. As long as the film composition is close to the stoichiometry, the breakdown field strength and the bulk resistivity showed adequate values for use as a gate dielectric layer down to $150^{\circ}C$ of the process temperature.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.200-206
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• 1997

Using $SiCl_{2}H_{2}$, $NH_{3}$ and $N_{2}O$, we have fabricated silicon oxynitride ($Si_{x}O_{y}N_{z}$) layers on thermally oxidized silicon wafer by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. Three different compositions were achieved by controlling gas flow ratios($NH_{3}/N_{2}O$)) to 0.2, 0.5 and 2 with fixed gas flow of $SiCl_{2}H_{2}$. Ellipsometry and high frequency capacitance-voltage(HFCV) measurements were adapted to investigate the difference of the refractive index, dielectric constant, and composition, respectively. Regardless of nitride content, silicon oxynitrides had similar stability to silicon nitrides. The relative standing of alkali ion sensitivity in silicon oxynitride layers was influenced by nitride content. The better alkali ion-sensitivity was achieved by increasing oxide content in bulk of silicon oxynitrides.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2003

Highly reproducible side-wall process for the fabrication of the fine gate length as small as 40nm was developed. This process was utilized to fabricate 40nm InGaAs HEMTs with the 65% strained channel. With the usage of the dual $SiO_2$ and $SiN_x$ dielectric layers and the proper selection of the etching gas, the final gate length (Lg) was insensitive to the process conditions such as the dielectric over-etching time. From the microwave measurement up to 40GHz, extrapolated fT and fmax as high as 371 and 345 GHz were obtained, respectively. We believe that the developed side-wall process would be directly applicable to finer gate fabrication, if the initial line length is lessened below the l00nm range.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

The SNOSFET memory devices with ultrathin ONO(tunnel oxide-nitride-blocking oxide) gate dielectric were fabricated using n-well CMOS process and investigated its characteristics. The thicknesses of tunnel oxide, nitride and blocking oxide were $23{\AA},\; 53{\AA}\; and\; 33{\AA}$, respectively. Auger analysis shows that the ONO layer is made up of $SiO_2(upper layer of blocking oxide)/O-rich\; SiO_x\N\_y$. It clearly shows that the converting layer with $SiO_x\N\_y(lower layer of blocking oxide)/N-rich SiO_x\N\_y(nitride)/O-rich SiO_x\N\_y(tunnel oxide)$. It clearly shows that the converting layer with $SiO_x\N\_y$ phase exists near the interface between the blocking oxide and nitride. The programming condition of +8 V, 20 ms, -8 V, 50 ms is determined and data retention over 10 years is obtained. Under the condition of 8 V programming, it was confirmed that the modified Fowler-Nordheim tunneling id dominant charge transport mechanism. The programmed threshold voltage is distributed less than 0.1 V so that the reading error of memory stated can be minimized. An $8\times8$ NAND type flash EEPROM with SONOSFET memory cell was designed and simulated with the extracted SPICE parameters. The sufficient read cell current was obtained and the upper limit of $V_{TH}$ for write state was over 2V.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.637-643
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• 2009

In this study, we analyzed the effect of silicon oxynitride matrix on the optical properties of Au nanoparticles dispersed on composite film and explored the effectiveness of the silicon in fine tuning the refractive index of the composite film for applications in optical waveguide devices. The atomic fraction of nitrogen in $SiO_xN_y$ films was controlled by varying the relative flow ratio of nitrogen gas in reactive sputtering and was evaluated optically using an effective medium theory with Bruggeman geometry consisting of a random mixture between $SiO_2$ and $Si_3N_4$. The Au nanoparticles were embedded in the $SiO_xN_y$ matrix by employing the alternating deposition technique and clearly showed an absorption peak due to the excitation of surface plasmon. With increasing nitrogen atomic fraction in the matrix, the surface plasmon resonance wavelength shifted to a longer wavelength (a red-shift) with an enhanced resonance absorption. These characteristics were interpreted using the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium theory. The formation of a guided mode in a slab waveguide consisting of 3 $\mu$m thick Au:$SiO_xN_y$ nanocomposite film was confirmed at the telecommunication wavelength of 1550 nm by prism coupler method and compared with the case of using $SiO_2$ matrix. The use of $SiO_xN_y$ matrix provides an effective way of controlling the mode confinement while maintaining or even enhancing the surface plasmon resonance properties.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.54 no.9
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• pp.397-402
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• 2005

The ($Sr_{1-x}Ca_x)TiO_3(SCT)$ thin films are deposited on Pt-coated electrode (Pt/TiN/SiO$_{2}$Si) using RF sputtering method with substitutional contents of Ca. The optimum conditions of RF power and Ar/O$_{2}$ ratio were 140(W) and 80/20, respectively. Deposition rate of SCT thin film was about $18.75{\AA}$/min. The dielectric constant was increased with increasing the substitutional contents of Ca, while it was decreased if the substitutional contents of Ca exceeded over $15[mol\%]$. The capacitance characteristics had a stable value within $\pm4[\%]$ in temperature ranges of $-80\~+90[^{\circ}C]$. All SCT thin films used in this study show the phenomena of dielectric relaxation with the increase of frequency, and the relaxation frequency is observed above 200[kHz].

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.07a
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• pp.45-49
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• 2001

We have investigated physical and electrical properties of the Hf $O_2$/HfS $i_{x}$/ $O_{y}$ thin film for alternative gate dielectrics in the metal-oxide-semiconductor device. The oxidation of Hf deposited directly on the Si substrate results in the H $f_{x}$/ $O_{y}$ interfacial layer and the high-k Hf $O_2$film simultaneously. Interestingly, the post-oxidation N2 annealing of the H102/H1Si70y thin films reduces(increases) the thickness of an amorphous HfS $i_{x}$/ $O_{y}$ layer(Hf $O_2$ layer). This phenomenon causes the increase of the effective dielectric constant, while maintaining the excellent interfacial properties. The hysteresis window in C-V curves and the midgap interface state density( $D_{itm}$) of Hf $O_2$/HfS $i_{x}$/ $O_{y}$ thin films less than 10 mV and ~3$\times$10$^{11}$ c $m^{-2}$ -eV without post-metallization annealing, respectively. The leakage current was also low (1$\times$10-s A/c $m^2$ at $V_{g}$ = +2 V). It is believed that these excellent results were obtained due to existence of the amorphous HfS $i_{x}$/ $O_{y}$ buffer layer. We also investigated the charge trapping characteristics using Fowler-Nordheim electron injection: We found that the degradation of Hf $O_2$/HfS $i_{x}$/ $O_{y}$ gate oxides is more severe when electrons were injected from the gate electrode.e electrode.e.e electrode.e.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.328-334
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• 2001

The characteristics of $NO/N_2O$ nitrided oxide and reoxidized nitrided oxide being studied as super thin gate oxide and gate dielectric layers of nonvolatile semiconductor memory(NVSM) was investigated by dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry(D-SMS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry(ToF-SIMS), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The specimen was annealed in $NO/N_2O$ ambient after initial oxide process. The result of D-SIMS exhibits that the center of nitrogen exists at the initial oxide interface and the distribution of nitrogen is wider in the annealing process with $N_2O$ than with NO annealing process. For investigating the condition of nitrogen that exists within the nitrided oxide, ToF-SIMS and XPS analysis were carried out. It was shown that the center of nitrogen investigated by D-SIMS was expected the SiON chemical bonds. The nitrogen near the newly formed reoxide/silicon substrate interface was appeared as $Si_2NO$ chemical bonds, and it is agreed with the distribution of SiN and $Si_2NO$ species by ToF-SIMS.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.187-191
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• 2007

The device performance of ZnO-thin film transistors(ZnO-TFTs) with gate dielectrics of $SiO_2,\;SiN_x$ and Polyvinylphenol(PVP) having a bottom gate configuration were investigated. ZnO-TFTs can induce high device performance with low intrinsic carrier concentration of ZnO only by controlling gas flow rates without additional doping or annealing processes. The field effect mobility and on/off ratio of ZnO-TFTs with $SiN_x$ were $20.2cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}\;and\;5{\times}10^6$ respectively which is higher than those previously reported. The device adoptable values of the mobility of $1.37cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ and the on/off ratio of $6{\times}10^3$ were evaluated from the device with organic PVP dielectric.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.185-190
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• 2002

Capacitor material utilized in the downsizing passive devices and dynamic random access memory(DRAM) requires the physical and electrical properties at given area such as capacitor thickness reduction, relative dielectric constant increase, low leakage current and thermal stability. Common capacitor materials, $SiO_2$, $Si_3N_4$, $SiO_2$/$Si_3N_4$,TaN and et al., used until recently have reached their physical limits in their application to several hundred angstrom scale capacitor. $Ta_2O_{5}$ is known to be a good alternative to the existing materials for the capacitor application because of its high dielectric constant (25 ~35), low leakage current and high breakdown strength. Despite the numerous investigations of $Ta_2O_{5}$ material, there have little been established the clear understanding of the annealing effect on capacitance characteristic and conduction mechanism, design and fabrication for $Ta_2O_{5}$ film capacitor. This study presents the structure-property relationship of reactive-sputtered $Ta_2O_{5}$ MIM capacitor structure processed by annealing in a vacuum. X-ray diffraction patterns skewed the existence of amorphous phase in as-deposited condition and the formation of preferentially oriented-$Ta_2O_{5}$ in 670, $700^{\circ}C$ annealing. On 670, $700^{\circ}C$ annealing under the vacuum, the leakage current decrease and the enhanced temperature-capacitance characteristic stability. and the leakage current behavior is stable irrespective of applied electric field. The results states that keeping $Ta_2O_{5}$ annealed at vacuum gives rise to improvement of electrical characteristics in the capacitor by reducing oxygen-vacancy and the broken bond between Ta and O.