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The low-frequency noise behavior of replacement metal gate high-k/metal-gate MOSFETs with an equivalent oxide thickness of the SiO 2 /HfO 2 bilayer in the range ∼1 nm has been investigated. It will be shown that both the average trap density and its profile derived from the frequency exponent γ of the flicker noise spectra are mainly determined by the interfacial layer (IL) oxide processing, with a higher trap density corresponding with a thinner chemical oxide, compared with a ≤1-nm thermal SiO 2 IL. The thickness of the HfO 2 layer and the metal gate fill has only a marginal impact on the noise power spectral density. It will also be shown that for the extraction of the trap density profiles from the 1/f γ noise spectra accurate values for the tunneling effective mass and barrier height are required.Index Terms-Flicker noise, high-k (HK) gate dielectrics, low-frequency (LF) noise, oxide trap density, tunneling.

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Bottom-pinned Mn83Ir17 spin valves with enhanced specular scattering were fabricated, showing magnetoresistance (MR) values up to 13.6%, lower sheet resistance R□ and higher ΔR□. Two nano-oxide layers (NOL) are grown on both sides of the CoFe/Cu/CoFe spin valve structure by natural oxidation or remote plasma oxidation of the starting CoFe layer. Maximum MR enhancement is obtained after just 1 min plasma oxidation. Rutherford backscattering analysis shows that a 15±2 Å oxide layer grows at the expense of the initial (prior to oxidation) CoFe layer, with ∼12% reduction of the initial 40 Å CoFe thickness. X-ray reflectometry indicates that Kiessig fringes become better defined after NOL growth, indicating smoother inner interfaces, in agreement with the observed decrease of the spin valve ferromagnetic Néel coupling.