Enhancement of dielectric constant in Sm:Zr co-doped HfO2 films synthesized by cost-effective method

Sm, Zr co-doped HfO₂ films were deposited on a p-type silicon wafer using a cost-effective spin coating method. The influence of Sm, Zr co-doping concentration variation on structural, compositional, morphological, and electrical properties was examined. The dominance of the orthorhombic phase (o-phase) in comparison to the monoclinic phase was noted to rise with the simultaneous increment of Sm doping concentration and decrement of Zr concentration. A decrease in oxygen vacancies was noted for all the Sm, Zr co-doped HfO₂ films from XPS results. Nonporous and uniform distribution of grains was observed from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) studies. Electrical studies of MOS capacitors based on Sm, Zr co-doped HfO₂ films revealed a low leakage current. C-V studies exhibited an increment of dielectric constant and a decrement of interface trap densities. Further, to obtain insights into the microscopic features of Sm, Zr co-doped films, impedance and modulus studies have been performed. The obtained results imply the potential of tuning Sm, Zr co-doping concentrations in HfO₂ towards stabilization of the orthorhombic phase and to enhance the dielectric constant of the films.