High dielectric constant Hf-Sn-Ti-O thin films

High dielectric constant Hf-Sn-Ti-O thin-film materials were identified using a compositional-spread approach. Thin films of composition Hf0.2Sn0.05Ti0.75O2 prepared at 250 degrees C have excellent dielectric properties: 40-70-nm-thick films with a dielectric constant of 40-60 were obtained, depending on the processing conditions, yielding a specific capacitance of 9-17 fF/mu m(2). Breakdown fields were measured to be about 3-4 MV/cm, yielding a figure of merit epsilon epsilon(0)E(br) similar to 19 mu C/cm(2). Leakage currents, measured at 1 MV/cm, were in the range 10(-7)-10(-6) A/cm(2). (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)03739-0].