Monochromatic X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry were used to study the out-diffusion of Zr from the alternate gate dielectric candidate ZrSixOy thin films deposited on Si(100). It was found that Zr incorporation into Si from ZrSixOy appeared to occur at annealing temperatures higher than 1000C. Incorporation of Zr to depths of up to 23nm into the Si substrate was observed. A diffusion coefficient of about 2 x 10-15cm2/s was deduced from the associated depth profiles.

Thermally Induced Zr Incorporation into Si from Zirconium Silicate Thin Films. M.Quevedo-Lopez, M.El-Bouanani, S.Addepalli, J.L.Duggan, B.E.Gnade, R.M.Wallace, M.R.Visokay, M.Douglas, M.J.Bevan, L.Colombo: Applied Physics Letters, 2001, 79[18], 2958-60