Preparation and properties of tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) thin films for ultra large scale integrated circuits (ULSIs) application - A review

Abstract

Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) thin films have rapidly evolved into an important field of research/development for both basic and applied science with the promise of creating a new generation of advanced micro devices for electronics applications. This paper provides a broad review of the current status and future trends of Ta2O5 thin films as a high ly promising storage dielectric material for high-density dynamic random access memory applications. Various methods of thin film material processing are briefly reviewed. The physical, electrical and dielectric characteristics of Ta2O5 thin films with specific examples from recent literature and the associated conduction mechanisms are summarized and discussed. Some suggestions to improve the electrical properties of the films are finally included. (C) 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers.