Wang C.-IChang T.-JYin Y.-TJiang Y.-SShyue J.-JChen M.-J.MIIN-JANG CHEN2021-08-052021-08-05202026376113https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85103142740&doi=10.1021%2facsaelm.9b00819&partnerID=40&md5=5bbdcaf9e344e42c895cf6c6f296a73bhttps://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/576939The impact of atomic layer bombardment (ALB) on the aluminum nitride (AlN) passivation layer between the HfO2 gate dielectric and the n-type epitaxial germanium (Ge) was investigated. The ALB technique was performed with the layer-by-layer, in situ helium/argon plasma bombardment in each cycle of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of AlN. An increase in the film density and a decrease in nitrogen vacancies, as manifested by the X-ray reflection and X-ray spectroscopy, were observed in the AlN layer treated by the ALB process. The improvements in the AlN quality contribute to a reduction of the equivalent oxide thickness from 1.36 to 1.19 nm of the AlN/HfO2 gate stack, together with the suppression of the gate leakage current, the interfacial state density, and the slow trap density. The reliability tests reveal promising reliability of the AlN/HfO2 gate stack with a small flat-band voltage shift under the constant voltage stress and a high operation voltage of ?2.4 V projected for a 10 years time-dependent-dielectric-breakdown lifetime. All of the results point that the ALB technique can effectively enhance the material/interface properties, electrical characteristics, and reliability of nanoscale devices, which is critical and beneficial to the next-generation high-speed and low-power nanoelectronics. Copyright ? 2020 American Chemical Society.Aluminum nitride; Atoms; Dielectric materials; Electric breakdown; Gate dielectrics; Germanium; Hafnium oxides; High-k dielectric; III-V semiconductors; Leakage currents; Logic gates; Passivation; Reliability; X ray spectroscopy; Constant voltage stress; Electrical characteristic; Electrical performance; Equivalent oxide thickness; Flat-band voltage shift; High operation voltage; Interfacial state density; Time-dependent dielectric breakdown lifetimes; Atomic layer depositionjournal article10.1021/acsaelm.9b008192-s2.0-85103142740