Work function engineering using lanthanum oxide interfacial layers

A La2O3 capping scheme has been developed to obtain n-type band-edge metal gates on Hf-based gate dielectrics. The viability of the technique is demonstrated using multiple metal gates that normally show midgap work function when deposited directly on HfSiO. The technique involves depositing a thin interfacial of La2O3 on a Hf-based gate dielectric prior to metal gate deposition. This process preserves the excellent device characteristic of Hf-based dielectrics, but also allows the realization of band-edge metal gates. The effectiveness of the technique is demonstrated by fabricating fully functional transistor devices. A model is proposed to explain the effect of La2O3 capping on metal gate work function. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.