Electrical characterization of metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors with xerogel as dielectric

Xerogel films have been prepared on p-type silicon (pSi) substrates by the sol-gel process using hexamethyldisilazane for surface modification. The dielectric constants of the films are in the range of 1.9-2.5. Detailed electrical characterization has been carried out using an aluminum-xerogel-pSi metal-insulator-semiconductor structure. Low values of fixed oxide charges, mobile oxide charges, and interface state densities have been obtained. The low leakage current density and high breakdown field strength of these films make them suitable for intermetal isolation. Very little degradation of the film properties was observed even after 40 days without any capping layer. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.