The Role of the Interfaces in the 1/f Noise of MOSFETs with High-k Gate Stacks

This paper focuses on the impact of the gate and substrate interfaces on the 1/f noise of the drain and the gate current of MOSFETs with high-k gate stacks. Three case studies are critically discussed to highlight the key role played by both interfaces in the 1/f noise. First, we show how a sub-monolayer of HfO2 sandwiched between SiON gate dielectric and poly-Si gate significantly increases the 1/f noise. The second case study indicates that a LaO cap on top of HfSiON significantly decreases the 1/f noise. The third experiment shows that the 1/f noise can be reduced by increasing the thickness of a SiO2 interfacial layer sandwiched between the substrate interface and the HfO2 layer.