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Main Authors: Rehm, Oliver, Baumgarten, Lutz, Guido, Roberto, Düring, Pia Maria, Gloskovskii, Andrei, Schlueter, Christoph, Mikolajick, Thomas, Schroeder, Uwe, Müller, Martina
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21132
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_version_ 1866911523555770368
author Rehm, Oliver
Baumgarten, Lutz
Guido, Roberto
Düring, Pia Maria
Gloskovskii, Andrei
Schlueter, Christoph
Mikolajick, Thomas
Schroeder, Uwe
Müller, Martina
author_facet Rehm, Oliver
Baumgarten, Lutz
Guido, Roberto
Düring, Pia Maria
Gloskovskii, Andrei
Schlueter, Christoph
Mikolajick, Thomas
Schroeder, Uwe
Müller, Martina
contents Aluminum scandium nitride (Al$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$N) is a promising material for ferroelectric devices due to its large remanent polarization, scalability, and compatibility with semiconductor technology. By doping AlN with Sc, the bonds in the polar AlN structure are weakened, which enables ferroelectric switching below the dielectric breakdown field. However, one disadvantage of Sc doping is that it increases the material's tendency towards oxidation. In the present study, the oxidation process of tungsten-capped and uncapped Al$_{0.83}$Sc$_{0.17}$N thin films is investigated by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). The samples had been exposed to air for either two weeks or 6 months. HAXPES spectra indicate the replacement of nitrogen by oxygen, and the tendency of oxygen to favor oxidation with Sc rather than Al. The appearance of an N$_2$ spectral feature thus can be directly related to the oxidation process. We present an oxidation model that mimics these spectroscopic results of the element-specific oxidation processes within Al$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$N. Finally, in operando HAXPES data of uncapped and capped AlScN-capacitor stacks are interpreted using the proposed model.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_21132
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Long-term stability and oxidation of ferroelectric AlScN devices: An operando HAXPES study
Rehm, Oliver
Baumgarten, Lutz
Guido, Roberto
Düring, Pia Maria
Gloskovskii, Andrei
Schlueter, Christoph
Mikolajick, Thomas
Schroeder, Uwe
Müller, Martina
Materials Science
Aluminum scandium nitride (Al$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$N) is a promising material for ferroelectric devices due to its large remanent polarization, scalability, and compatibility with semiconductor technology. By doping AlN with Sc, the bonds in the polar AlN structure are weakened, which enables ferroelectric switching below the dielectric breakdown field. However, one disadvantage of Sc doping is that it increases the material's tendency towards oxidation. In the present study, the oxidation process of tungsten-capped and uncapped Al$_{0.83}$Sc$_{0.17}$N thin films is investigated by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). The samples had been exposed to air for either two weeks or 6 months. HAXPES spectra indicate the replacement of nitrogen by oxygen, and the tendency of oxygen to favor oxidation with Sc rather than Al. The appearance of an N$_2$ spectral feature thus can be directly related to the oxidation process. We present an oxidation model that mimics these spectroscopic results of the element-specific oxidation processes within Al$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$N. Finally, in operando HAXPES data of uncapped and capped AlScN-capacitor stacks are interpreted using the proposed model.
title Long-term stability and oxidation of ferroelectric AlScN devices: An operando HAXPES study
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21132