Since the ferroelectric properties of Si doped HfO2 were confirmed in 2011, many studies of HfO2-based ferroelectrics have been conducted. Compared to the existing perovskite structure ferroelectric, the fluorite-based HfO2-based ferroelectric exhibit...
Since the ferroelectric properties of Si doped HfO2 were confirmed in 2011, many studies of HfO2-based ferroelectrics have been conducted. Compared to the existing perovskite structure ferroelectric, the fluorite-based HfO2-based ferroelectric exhibits ferroelectric characteristics even at a thin thickness (~ 10nm), which has an advantage in application to DRAM capacitors and 3D NAND Flash. Ferroelectric properties can be obtained by adding various dopants (Si, Zr, Y, Al, Gd, Sr, La, etc.) to the HfO2 film and depositing a capping metal film, and then performing a heat treatment process. Among them, Zr doped HfO2 (HZO) shows the ferroelectric properties within a wide composition range (~ 50%), as well as the antiferroelectric properties when the Zr content is increased. So HZO has been actively researched. Oxidant is used as an oxygen source to form an oxide film during the ALD process. Ozone (O3) and H2O are typical oxidants. Among them, O3 is used as an oxidant because it has a higher oxidizing power than H2O, an excellent ability to remove impurities in thin films, and a short purging time. In this paper, we studied the polarization characteristics according to the O3 dose and HfO2 / ZrO2 stacking sequences in the Hf1-xZrxO2 thin film deposited by ALD. First, the polarization characteristic changes in relation to the change of O3 dose in HfO2 were studied. As a result of the measurement of the polarization voltage, it shows the paraelectric characteristics, and there was no change according to the amount of O3 dose. In the other literature, there was a change in the amount of O3 dose. The reason for the difference between the experimental result and the literature result is expected to be caused by the difference in the process temperature and the O3 dose range. Second, the polarization characteristic changes in relation to the change of O3 dose in ZrO2 were studied. As a result of polarization voltage measurement, it shows antiferroelectric properties, and when the O3 dose increases, the anti-ferroelectric properties increase. The predicted cause derived through physical property analysis and literature investigation is the degree of oxidation of the underlying TiN formed at the beginning of the process when the O3 dose is changed, and the oxygen vacancy in the bulk film decreases after the beginning, causing a change in the oxygen content of the final film and affecting the crystallinity of the tetragonal phase. It is presumed that the antiferroelectric properties change. Third, the change in polarization characteristics of O3 dose change in Hf1-xZrxO2 (HZO) thin film was studied. Hf0.38Zr0.62O2 showed ferroelectric properties, the maximum value of Remnant Polarization (Pr) was confirmed, and Hf0.25Zr0.75O2 showed antiferroelectric-like properties. In each case, the Pr value tends to increase when the O3 dose increases, and it is thought that the expected cause of the polarization change is the same as that estimated in ZrO2. Fourth, the effect of polarization on the HfO2 / ZrO2 stacking sequences in the HZO thin film was studied. Polarization change occurred in the case of Zr-rich Hf0.25Zr0.75O2, and it was confirmed that the Pr value was increased in the ZrO2 starting group (ZH, ZZ) compared to the HfO2 starting group (HH, HZ). As a result of examining the cause of the polarization change through literature review, when the thickness of the ZrO2 starting layer increases, it acts as a seed layer and affects the crystallinity of the HZO thin film, thus increasing the orthorhombic phase in the film, which is estimated to increase polarization.