Atomic layer deposition of insulating nitride interfacial layers for germanium metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors with high-κ-oxide/tungsten nitride gate stacks

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to deposit passivating interfacial nitride layers between Ge and high-κ oxides. High-κ oxides on Ge surfaces passivated by ultrathin (1–2nm) ALD Hf3N4 or AlN layers exhibited well-behaved C-V characteristics with an equivalent oxide thickness as low as 0.8nm, no significant flatband voltage shifts, and midgap density of interface states values of 2×1012cm−1eV−1. Functional n-channel and p-channel Ge field effect transistors with nitride interlayer/high-κ oxide/metal gate stacks are demonstrated.