CHARACTERIZATION OF RF-SPUTTERED YTTRIUM-OXIDE FILMS

The results of current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements on 600 angstrom yttrium oxide films, prepared by rf-sputtering in 10(-2) torr of argon and at substrate temperatures 300-400-degrees-C are presented. Films exhibit good leakage current characteristics after annealing in hydrogen and possess high resistivity, in excess of 10(17) OMEGA-cm. A Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanism is observed. Permittivity is relatively independent of frequency up to 1 MHz, but drops off at higher frequencies. The dissipation factor is of the order of 0.003 over the frequency range 10(4)-10(6) Hz. C-V plots exhibit hysteresis, which is attributed to polarization.