Hf/Zr Superlattice-Based High-\k{appa} Gate Dielectrics with Dipole Layer Engineering for Advanced CMOS

TL;DR

This paper presents Hf/Zr superlattice-based high-k gate dielectrics with dipole layer engineering that achieve sub-nanometer EOT, high Vth tunability, and stability, advancing CMOS technology beyond 1 nm scale.

Contribution

It introduces a novel Hf/Zr superlattice dielectric with embedded dipole layers that surpass conventional dielectrics in EOT, Vth tunability, and stability, compatible with high-temperature processing.

Findings

Achieved EOT of 7.3 Å with HZH superlattice after annealing.

Embedded Al2O3 dipole reduces EOT to 8.4 Å and enables Vth tuning.

Demonstrated stable Vth with minimal drift under bias stress.

Abstract

Advanced logic transistors require gate dielectrics that achieve sub-nanometer equivalent oxide thickness (EOT), suppress leakage, and satisfy three key requirements: (i) compatibility with RMG-like high-temperature processing, (ii) sufficient Vth tunability for multi-Vth design, and (iii) high device reliability. However, meeting all of these requirements simultaneously has been difficult with conventional high-k systems. In this work, we demonstrate that Hf/Zr-based gate stacks quantitatively satisfy these conditions. After a 700 C N2 anneal, the HZH superlattice achieves an EOT of 7.3 A, lower than conventional HfO2-only stacks (8.5 A) while maintaining comparable leakage. Embedding a 3 A Al2O3 dipole within an HfO2/ZrO2/HfO2 superlattice (HZHA) breaks the conventional dipole trade-off, achieving an EOT of 8.4 A, lower than the 9.0 A of a standard HfO2/Al2O3 stack, while providing a flatband voltage shift greater than 200 mV, thereby enabling multi-Vth tuning without compromising scaling. Furthermore, under -2 V negative-bias temperature stress at 125 C for 100 s, HZHA and HA exhibit comparable flatband voltage drifts of 87 mV and 97 mV, respectively, confirming that strong Vth tunability and sub-nanometer EOT can be achieved without compromising stability. In addition to these quantitative advances, this study reveals previously unreported physical insights into dipole behavior and interfacial diffusion in ultrathin Hf/Zr multilayers. These results establish HZHA as an RMG-compatible, Vth-tunable, low-EOT dielectric platform capable of supporting logic scaling beyond the 1 nm frontier.