Formation of Interfacial Layers in LaAlO3/Silicon during Film Deposition

Formation of Interfacial Layers in LaAlO3/Silicon during Film Deposition

We have studied the interracial reactions between amorphous LaAlO3 thin films and Si substrates, using high- resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has been shown that the interracial layer between LaAlO3 film and Si substrate chemical states show that the ratio of La 4d3/2 to Al 2p is SiLaxAlyOz. The depth distributions of La, Si and Al of the interfacial layer remains unchanged with the depth compared to that of the LaAlO3 film. Moreover, the Si content, in the interracial layer gradually decreases with increasing thickness of the interracial layer. These results strongly suggest that the Al element is not deficient in the interracial layer, as previously believed, and the formation of a SiLaxAlyOz interracial layer is mainly due to the diffusion of Si from the substrate during the LaAlO3 film deposition. With the understanding of the interracial layer formation, ones can control the interface characteristics to ensure the desired performances of devices using high-k oxides as gate dielectrics.