Engineering dielectric constant and breakdown strength in Tm2O3 thin films through nitrogen-controlled two-step annealing.
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| Title: | Engineering dielectric constant and breakdown strength in Tm2O3 thin films through nitrogen-controlled two-step annealing. |
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| Authors: | Deng, Junchen1,2 (AUTHOR), Gaos, Ashraf Mohamad2 (AUTHOR), Quah, Hock Jin1,2 (AUTHOR) hock_jin@usm.my |
| Source: | Ceramics International. Jun2026:Part B, Vol. 52 Issue 15, p29758-29769. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Rapid thermal processing, Dielectric strength, Radiofrequency sputtering, Substrates (Materials science), Thin films, Permittivity |
| Abstract: | Thulium oxide (Tm 2 O 3) was a promising high dielectric constant (k) material, whose functional properties critically depended on its structure and defect density. This work investigated a novel two-step annealing process, which combined rapid thermal annealing (RTA) with furnace annealing in controlled ambient to engineer the structural and electrical characteristics of Tm 2 O 3 passivation layers deposited on silicon (Si) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The strategy combined RTA in nitrogen at temperatures from 700 to 1000°C with a subsequent nitrogen-oxygen-nitrogen furnace annealing at 700°C. It was demonstrated that the RTA temperature critically governed nitrogen incorporation, dictating its site selectivity within the Tm 2 O 3 lattice. At 800°C, an optimal balance was achieved in which nitrogen substituted for oxygen and diffused to the Tm 2 O 3 /Si interface, forming a robust barrier that suppressed the growth of a low- k silicon dioxide (SiO 2) interfacial layer. This sample exhibited superior performance, including the highest k (16.1) value, the lowest slow trap density, a moderate positive effective oxide charge, and a superior breakdown field. In contrast, RTA temperature of 1000°C triggered severe thermal desorption of nitrogen and thulium, which decomposed the passivation layer and resulted in an excessive growth of the SiO 2 interfacial layer, thereby degrading the overall passivating characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Ceramics International is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 194171553 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Engineering dielectric constant and breakdown strength in Tm2O3 thin films through nitrogen-controlled two-step annealing. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Deng%2C+Junchen%22">Deng, Junchen</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gaos%2C+Ashraf+Mohamad%22">Gaos, Ashraf Mohamad</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Quah%2C+Hock+Jin%22">Quah, Hock Jin</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> hock_jin@usm.my</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Ceramics+International%22">Ceramics International</searchLink>. Jun2026:Part B, Vol. 52 Issue 15, p29758-29769. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rapid+thermal+processing%22">Rapid thermal processing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dielectric+strength%22">Dielectric strength</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Radiofrequency+sputtering%22">Radiofrequency sputtering</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Substrates+%28Materials+science%29%22">Substrates (Materials science)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thin+films%22">Thin films</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Permittivity%22">Permittivity</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Thulium oxide (Tm 2 O 3) was a promising high dielectric constant (k) material, whose functional properties critically depended on its structure and defect density. This work investigated a novel two-step annealing process, which combined rapid thermal annealing (RTA) with furnace annealing in controlled ambient to engineer the structural and electrical characteristics of Tm 2 O 3 passivation layers deposited on silicon (Si) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The strategy combined RTA in nitrogen at temperatures from 700 to 1000°C with a subsequent nitrogen-oxygen-nitrogen furnace annealing at 700°C. It was demonstrated that the RTA temperature critically governed nitrogen incorporation, dictating its site selectivity within the Tm 2 O 3 lattice. At 800°C, an optimal balance was achieved in which nitrogen substituted for oxygen and diffused to the Tm 2 O 3 /Si interface, forming a robust barrier that suppressed the growth of a low- k silicon dioxide (SiO 2) interfacial layer. This sample exhibited superior performance, including the highest k (16.1) value, the lowest slow trap density, a moderate positive effective oxide charge, and a superior breakdown field. In contrast, RTA temperature of 1000°C triggered severe thermal desorption of nitrogen and thulium, which decomposed the passivation layer and resulted in an excessive growth of the SiO 2 interfacial layer, thereby degrading the overall passivating characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Ceramics International is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2026.05.058 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 29758 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Rapid thermal processing Type: general – SubjectFull: Dielectric strength Type: general – SubjectFull: Radiofrequency sputtering Type: general – SubjectFull: Substrates (Materials science) Type: general – SubjectFull: Thin films Type: general – SubjectFull: Permittivity Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Engineering dielectric constant and breakdown strength in Tm2O3 thin films through nitrogen-controlled two-step annealing. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Deng, Junchen – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gaos, Ashraf Mohamad – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Quah, Hock Jin IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 21 M: 06 Text: Jun2026:Part B Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 02728842 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 52 – Type: issue Value: 15 Titles: – TitleFull: Ceramics International Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
