Designing high k dielectric films with LiPON-Al2O3 hybrid structure by atomic layer deposition

A large amount of ultra-low-power consumption electronic devices are urgently needed in the new era of the internet of things, which demand relatively low frequency response. Here, atomic layer deposition has been utilized to fabricate the ion polarization dielectric of the LiPON-Al2O3 hybrid structure. The LiPON thin film is periodically stacked in the Al2O3 matrix. This hybrid structure presents a frequency-dependent dielectric constant, of which k is significantly higher than the aluminum oxide matrix from 1 kHz to 200 kHz in frequency. The increased dielectric constant is attributed to the lithium ions shifting locally upon the applied electrical field, which shows an additional polarization to the Al2O3 matrix. This work provides a new strategy with promising potential to engineers for the dielectric constant of the gate oxide and sheds light on the application of electrolyte/dielectric hybrid structure in a variety of devices from capacitors to transistors.