Flat-Band Voltage Study of Atomic-layer-deposited Aluminum-oxide Subjected to Spoke Thermal Annealing

High-K dielectrics based on the oxide of Al were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on 200-mm diameter Si wafers in an ASM Pulsar ALCVD System. Films were deposited directly on clean Si or on ~0.5-nm underlayers of chemical oxide, rapid thermal oxide, and rapid thermal oxynitrides grown in NO and a mixture of O sub 2 and NO. The purpose of the underlayer films is to provide a barrier for atomic diffusion from the crystalline Si to the high-K dielectric film.