Physical and Chemical Properties of TiO_xN_y Prepared by Low-Temperature Oxidation of Ultrathin Metal Nitride Directly Deposited on SiO₂

Physical and chemical properties of titanium oxynitride (TiO_xN_y) formed by low-temperature oxidation of titanium nitride (TiN) layer are investigated for advanced metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate dielectric application. TiO_xN_y exhibits polycrystalline properties after the standard thermal process for MOS device fabrication, showing the preferred orientation at 200. Superior electrical properties of TiO_xN_y can be maintained before and after the annealing, probably due to the nitrogen incorporation in the oxide bulk and at the interface. Naturally formed transition layer between TiO_xN_y and SiO₂ is also confirmed.