This repository contains the M.Sc. (Electronics Science) final-year project work focused on the electrical characterization and tunneling mechanism analysis of RF-sputtered HfO₂-based MOS capacitors.
As CMOS devices scale down, conventional SiO₂ gate dielectrics suffer from excessive leakage current due to quantum mechanical tunneling. High-k dielectrics such as HfO₂ offer improved capacitance control while reducing equivalent oxide thickness (EOT).
This project investigates the effect of RF sputtering time and post-deposition annealing temperature on the electrical behavior and tunneling mechanisms of HfO₂ MOS capacitors.
- Fabrication of HfO₂ thin films using RF magnetron sputtering
- Electrical characterization using C–V and I–V measurements
- Identification of dominant tunneling mechanisms (FN, PF, Schottky)
- Analysis of interface states, oxide charge density, and leakage current behavior
- Substrate: p-type Si ⟨100⟩
- Deposition: RF magnetron sputtering
- Sputtering time: 5 min, 10 min, 20 min
- Annealing: 500 °C and 600 °C (RTA in O₂)
- Contacts: Pt/HfO₂/p-Si MOS structure
- Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (Thickness analysis)
- C–V and G–V Measurements (Keysight LCR Meter)
- I–V Measurements (Keithley Source Meter)
- Fowler–Nordheim and Poole–Frenkel fitting
- Film thickness increases with sputtering time
- Annealing reduces interface trap density and oxide charge
- Poole–Frenkel emission dominates at low electric fields
- Fowler–Nordheim tunneling dominates at high electric fields
Theory/– MOS physics and tunneling mechanismsFabrication/– RF sputtering and annealing processResults/– Experimental data and analysisPlots/– Electrical characterization plotsThesis/– Complete MSc thesis (PDF)Presentation/– Project presentation slides
- Abhijeet Singh
- Sreemoyee Saha
Prof. Anupam Karmakar
Department of Electronic Science
University of Calcutta
MOS Capacitor, HfO₂, High-k Dielectrics, RF Sputtering, C–V Analysis, I–V Analysis, Fowler–Nordheim Tunneling, Poole–Frenkel Emission