EXITAXIAL FERROELECTRIC/COMDUCTIVE OXIDE THIN-FILM HETEROSTRUCTURES ON SILICON FOR MICROELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS

IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGIC OBSTACLES MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES MONOLITHICALLY INTEGRATED WITH OXIDE FERROELECTRICS CAN BECOME A PRACTICAL REALITY. THE INNOVATIONS OF THE PROGRAM ARE; (1) ADVANCING THIN-FILM DEPOSITION TECHNOLOGY TO ACHIEVE FULLY EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF FERROELECTRIC FILMS ON SILICON SUBSTRATES, BY USING THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PULSED LASER DEPOSITION (PLD) TECHNIQUE; (2) REPLACING THE PT BOTTOM ELECTRODE WITH AN EPITAXIAL CONDUCTIVE OXIDE MATERIAL; AND (3) ACHIEVING A FULL MONOLITHIC INTEGRATION OF HIGH-DENSITY FERROELECTRIC/CONDUCTIVE OXIDE CAPACITORS WITH SI INTEGRATED CIRCUITS. THE MAIN THRUST IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF A FERROELECTRIC FILM ON TOP OF A CONDUCTIVE OXIDE FILM, ON TOP OF AN EPITAXIAL YSZ BUFFERED SILICON SUBSTRATE. THE RESULTING HETEROSTRUCTURES ARE BEING USED TO FABRICATE A SIMPLE FERROELECTRIC SWITCHED CAPACITOR. THIS DEVICE WILL BE FULLY CHARACTERIZED AND WILL BECOME THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCK FOR APPLICATIONS OF FERROELECTRIC THIN FILMS TO THE MICROELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.