GERMANIUM-CONTAINING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD OF FORMING

A germanium-containing semiconductor device and a method for forming a germanium-containing semiconductor device are described. The method includes providing a germanium-containing substrate, depositing an aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer on the germanium-containing substrate, depositing a high-k layer on the aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer, and exposing the high-k layer to atomic oxygen to reduce the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of the high-k layer while avoiding oxidizing the germanium-containing substrate. The germanium-containing semiconductor device includes a germanium-containing substrate, an aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer on the germanium-containing substrate, and a high-k layer on the aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer, where the high-k layer has been exposed to atomic oxygen to reduce the EOT of the high-k layer while avoiding oxidizing the germanium-containing substrate.