The effects of rapid thermal annealing and microwave annealing on the electrical properties of ZrO2 metal-insulator-metal capacitors

The effects of different rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and microwave annealing (MWA) on the electrical behaviors of ZrO2 metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors were studied in detail. The maximum capacitance density was achieved at 1400 W for MWA, i.e. similar to 29.29 fF/mu m(2) increased by similar to 40% compared with that of the un-annealed capacitors. For the capacitors under RTA at 370 degrees C, equivalent to the ambient of the MWA at 1400 W, the capacitance density is similar to 28.04 fF/mu m(2). Moreover, the leakage current density of ZrO2 MIM capacitors for MWA at 1400 W and RTA at 370 degrees C are determined to be about 3.55 x 10(-7) A/cm(2) and 1.88 x 10(-6) A/cm(2) at the applied voltage of -1.5 V, respectively. Finally, the possible mechanisms of the improved electrical properties of ZrO2 MIM capacitors through MWA were proposed.