The bias temperature instability characteristics of in situ nitrogen incorporated ZrO_x N_y Gate Dielectrics

The dielectric properties and bias temperature instability characteristics of in situ nitrogen incorporated ZrO_x N_y gate dielectrics were compared with those of ZrO₂, HfO₂, and HfO _x N_y. ZrO_x N_y showed a much smaller capacitance equivalent oxide thickness (1.43 nm) than ZrO₂ (2.13 nm) and exhibited a turn-around effect under a positive gate stress bias in n-type metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor, which is consistent with HfO_x N_y. However, compared to HfO_x N _y, ZrO_x N_y showed a significantly lower initial Vth shift under a positive gate stress bias due to the lower number of shallow bulk traps related to oxygen vacancies.