Properties of Thermal Gadolinium Oxide Films on Silicon

The formation and electrical characteristics of thermal gadolinium (Gd) oxide films were investigated. A good uniform interface formed by proper treatment was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination. The dielectric constant of the thermal Gd oxide films was approximately 10 from capacitance–voltage measurements. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the thermal Gd oxide (Gd 2 O 3 ) films showed that they had a cubic structure. The Gd oxides that were oxidized at higher temperatures exhibited smaller grain boundaries than those oxidized at lower temperatures. The grain boundary size of the Gd oxides significantly affects the leakage property. A good Gd oxide quality can be obtained when the thermal oxidation temperature is above 900°C.