Enhanced NBTI Characteristics in HfO₂/TiAlC RMG Stacks via Low-Temperature H* Remote Plasma Treatment After Interfacial Layer Growth

The remote hydrogen plasma technique at <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$250^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$</tex> after interfacial layer (IL) formation in <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\text{HfO}_{2} / \text{TiAlC}$</tex> RMG is studied. It shows that the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) increases about 0.31 nm by <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{H}^{\ast}$</tex> treatment, which is related to the interfacial layer re-growth. The threshold voltage shift of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{H}^{\ast}$</tex> treated-device in NBTI with -1.0V and 1000s at <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$125^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$</tex>, is improved about 90%. It's proved that the <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\mathrm{H}^{\ast}$</tex> treatment enhances H concentration in IL and HK layer, and reduces interface state density, effectively passivating interface dangling bonds and oxide hole traps.