UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Amponsah, Vera
Dept./Program:
Materials Science Program
Year:
2004
Degree:
M.S.
Abstract:
The goal of this investigation is to measure the Capacitance-Voltage(C-V) characteristics of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) samples that were prepared at the University of Vermont. The purpose of this C-V measurement is to determine the dielectric constant of the YSZ samples and the materials behavior as gate dielectric. All thin films samples were prepared by reactively sputtering YSZ onto Si (100) substrate surfaces. The samples were prepared with a variety of post deposition annealing process options. Capacitance-Voltage measurements are typically made on a capacitor like device such as a MOS capacitor (MOS-C). YSZ is a potential gate dielectric material because it is thermodynamically stable when in contact with silicon at higher temperatures. The high-frequency C-V (HF-CV) measurements were conducted at 1 MHz and the low frequency C-V (LF-CV) measurements made at 10 kHz. The equivalent oxide thickness tysz of YSZ films was calculated from the accumulation capacitance of the high-frequency C-V curves. An insignificant shift in V was observed in the C-V curve for YSZ samples. The dielectric constant for samples prepared with insulator layers composed of SiO₂, YSZ, and Er/YSZ were determined by the HF-CV and the LF-CV measurements.