GOALI: Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Thermodynamic Stability of Amorphous Thin Films Based on Zirconia and Hafnia

GOALI：氧化锆和氧化铪非晶薄膜热力学稳定性的理论与实验研究

• 批准号: 0606464
• 负责人: Alexander Demkov
• 金额: $ 63.83万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0606464&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GOALI; Theoretical; Experimental; Study; Thermodynamic

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The continuous miniaturization of semiconductor technology is largely responsible for the extraordinary economic advances made by the US in the past fifty years. Today transistor design is moving into fabricating devices of a few nanometers, which represent just a few hundred inter-atomic distances. To meet the exacting requirements of such extraordinarily tiny devices, new materials have to be discovered, developed, and introduced. This project provides fundamental understanding to pave the way for using amorphous hafnium oxide films as gate dielectrics in microelectronics. These dielectrics are insulators to prevent the closely packed elements of the device from interacting with each other and becoming less efficient. The problem is complex and demands a joint theoretical and experimental study to find materials that are stable and have the necessary electrical properties. The outreach program is aimed at attracting girls in high school to physical sciences. In collaboration with the physics instructor at the Austin magnet high school with a large number of minority students (LBJ Science Academy) female students get an opportunity to do summer research at the University of Texas. The participating scientists visit the school regularly and interact with a broad student audience. TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: The goal of this project is to perform a systematic study of the thermodynamic stability of amorphous zirconia and hafnia, and find ways to alter the crystallization temperature and energetics by doping with aliovalent metals and nitrogen. Hafnium dioxide (HfO2) is the leading candidate to replace silicon dioxide (normal silica glass) as a gate dielectric in advanced devices. The focus is to relate the atomic level structure of the material to its thermodynamics, and through that knowledge elucidate practical means of controlling the amorphous phase stability. This is achieved through a combination of growth, structural and thermodynamic characterization and modeling. Very close collaboration exists between first principles theory and experiment with extensive exchange of personnel between Austin and Davis, as well as active collaborations with industrial groups. Keeping the technological application of fundamental research in mind is also central to the educational component focused on an interdisciplinary inter-institutional group of students in Physics, Materials Science, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering involved in the cutting edge research, which naturally relates to a very important technological problem.

非技术描述：半导体技术的持续小型化主要负责美国过去五十年来美国的非凡经济进步。如今，晶体管设计正在进入一些纳米的制造设备，这些设备仅代表几百个原子间距离。为了满足这种非常小的设备的严格要求，必须发现，开发和引入新材料。该项目提供了基本的理解，以铺平道路，用于使用微电子中的元素氧化物膜作为栅极介电。这些电介质是绝缘子，以防止设备的紧密包装元素相互交互并变得效率降低。该问题很复杂，需要一项联合理论和实验研究，以找到稳定并具有必要电性能的材料。 外展计划旨在吸引高中女孩进入身体科学。与奥斯汀磁铁高中的物理讲师合作，众多少数族裔学生（LBJ科学院）女学生有机会在德克萨斯大学进行夏季研究。参与的科学家会定期访问学校，并与广泛的学生观众互动。 技术摘要：该项目的目的是对无定形氧化锆和Hafnia的热力学稳定性进行系统研究，并通过掺入AlioLovalent金属和氮来改变方法来改变结晶温度和能量。 Hafnium二氧化物（HFO2）是代替二氧化硅（正常硅胶）作为高级装置中的栅极介电的领先候选人。重点是将材料的原子水平结构与其热力学联系起来，并通过该知识阐明了控制非晶相稳定性的实际手段。这是通过生长，结构和热力学表征和建模的结合来实现的。在第一原则理论与实验之间，与奥斯汀和戴维斯之间的人员交流以及与工业团体的积极合作之间存在非常紧密的合作。牢记基本研究的技术应用也是教育部分的核心，该教育部分集中在跨学科的跨机构间学生群体中，涉及尖端研究的物理，材料科学，化学和化学工程学，这自然与非常重要的技术问题有关。