Effective electrical passivation of Ge(100) for high-k gate dielectric layers using germanium oxide

In search of a proper passivation for high-k Ge metal-oxide-semiconductor devices, the authors have deposited high-k dielectric layers on GeO2, grown at 350-450 degrees C in O-2. ZrO2, HfO2, and Al2O3 were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). GeO2 and ZrO2 or HfO2 intermix during ALD, together with partial reduction of Ge4+. Almost no intermixing or reduction occurs during Al2O3 ALD. Capacitors show well-behaved capacitance-voltage characteristics on both n- and p-Ge, indicating efficient passivation of the Ge/GeOx interface. The density of interface states is typically in the low to mid-10(11) cm(-2) eV(-1) range, approaching state-of-the-art Si/HfO2/matal gate devices.