Study of reactions between HfO2 and Si in thin films with precise identification of chemical states by XPS

Reactions between HfO2 and Si in HfSiO films during deposition and post-annealing have been studied. Intermixing of HfO2 and Si is achieved by radio frequency sputtering with HfO2/Si compound targets, and post-annealing is used to promote the reaction at different temperatures. The structural characteristics of the mixture, HfSiO films, are analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, and a careful assessment of chemical states is performed for precise identification. XPS results show that with ratios of Si:Hf ranging from 0 to 0.3 in HfSiO films, Si fully reacts with HfO2 to form silicate during deposition. However, SiO2 appears when the ratio of Si: Hf rises to 1.2. When the annealing temperature reaches 600 degrees C, decomposition of hafnium silicate is observed and hafnium silicide forms in the bulk of the films. XRD results reveal that HfSiO films remain amorphous with the annealing temperature below 600 degrees C but crystallize at 800 degrees C. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.