Lanthanum zirconium oxide (LZO) is a material well known for its high dielectric constant, which is important for reducing power consumption in advanced microelectronics. Solution processing of LZO thin films, typically performed by spin-coating onto oxygen-plasma-activated oxide surfaces, is advantageous because the process is simple, low cost, and potentially scalable. Here, we investigate the deposition of LZO on carboxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that are covalently attached to oxide-free silicon. The preparation of the SAM involves a two-step procedure, after which the LZO film can be spin-coated from an aqueous solution. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to characterize the chemical evolution of the films and the modification of the Si/SAM interface as a function of annealing temperature. The results show that it is possible to spin-coat an aqueous solution onto a carboxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayer without oxidation of the Si/SAM interface. Moreover, the SAM remains chemically stable up to 200 °C, after which a loss is observed for the FTIR peaks corresponding to the alkyl chain (2922 and 2853 cm-1) and carboxyl group (1717 cm-1).

Aqueous solution-derived lanthanum zirconium oxide thin films on Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs)

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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