Physical and Chemical Properties of TiOxNy Prepared by Low-Temperature Oxidation of Ultrathin Metal Nitride Directly Deposited on SiO2

Physical and chemical properties of titanium oxynitride (TiOxNy) formed by low-temperature oxidation of titanium nitride (TiN) layer are investigated for advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate dielectric application. TiOxNy exhibits polycrystalline properties after the standard thermal process for MOS device fabrication, showing the preferred orientation at 200]. Superior electrical properties of TiOxNy can be maintained before and after the annealing, probably due to the nitrogen incorporation in the oxide bulk and at the interface. Naturally formed transition layer between TiOxNy and SiO2 is also confirmed.