Annealing Effects on the Band Alignment of ALD SiO₂ on (In_xGa_1−x)₂O₃ for x = 0.25–0.74

Abstract

The band alignment of Atomic Layer Deposited SiO2 on (InxGa1−x)2O3 at varying indium concentrations is reported before and after annealing at 450 °C and 600 °C to simulate potential processing steps during device fabrication and to determine the thermal stability of MOS structures in high-temperature applications. At all indium concentrations studied, the valence band offsets (VBO) showed a nearly constant decrease as a result of 450 °C annealing. The decrease in VBO was −0.35 eV for (In0.25Ga0.75)2O3, −0.45 eV for (In0.42Ga0.58)2O3, −0.40 eV for (In0.60Ga0.40)2O3, and −0.35 eV (In0.74Ga0.26)2O3 for 450 °C annealing. After annealing at 600 °C, the band alignment remained stable, with <0.1 eV changes for all structures examined, compared to the offsets after the 450 °C anneal. The band offset shifts after annealing are likely due to changes in bonding at the heterointerface. Even after annealing up to 600 °C, the band alignment remains type I (nested gap) for all indium compositions of (InxGa1−x)2O3 studied.