Polycrystallization effects on the nanoscale electrical properties of high-k dielectrics

In this study, atomic force microscopy-related techniques have been used to investigate, at the nanoscale, how the polycrystallization of an Al2O3-based gate stack, after a thermal annealing process, affects the variability of its electrical properties. The impact of an electrical stress on the electrical conduction and the charge trapping of amorphous and polycrystalline Al2O3 layers have been also analyzed.