A Sensitivity Map-Based Approach to Profile Defects in MIM Capacitors From I – V , C – V , and G – V Measurements

We present a defect spectroscopy technique to profile the energy and spatial distribution of defects within a material stack from leakage current ( {J} - {V} ), capacitance ( {C} - {V} ), and conductance ( {G} - {V} ) measurements. The technique relies on the concept of sensitivity maps (SMs) that identify the bandgap regions, where defects affect those electrical characteristics. The information provided by SMs are used to reproduce {J} - {V} , {C} - {V} , and {G} - {V} data measured at different temperatures and frequencies by means of physics-based simulations relying on an accurate description of carrier-defect interactions. The proposed defect spectroscopy technique is applied to ZrO 2 -based metal-insulator-metal structures of different compositions for dynamic random-access memory capacitor applications. The origin of the observed voltage, temperature, and frequency dependencies of the {I} - {V} , {C} - {V} , and {G} - {V} data is understood, and the atomic structure of the relevant stack defects is identified.