Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors on GaAs with germanium nitride passivation layer

We present gallium arsenide (GaAs) metal- oxide- semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) with a thin HfO2 gate dielectric and a thin germanium nitride (GexNy) interfacial passivation layer (IPL). TaN/HfO2/GexNy/GaAs MOSCAPs show a low interface state density and a thin equivalent oxide thickness (1.6 nm). Compared to GaAs MOSCAPs with germanium (Ge) IPL, the GexNy IPL has a smaller slow trap density, which is confirmed by improved C- V characteristics without humps near the flatband voltage. The lower rate of flatband voltage shift and gate leakage decreasing under constant gate voltage stress were also demonstrated in GaAs MOSCAPs with GexNy IPL than the Ge IPL. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.