PhD thesis

The aim of my PhD project was to study electronic and structural properties of a class of High Dielectric constant (high-k) ultra thin film oxides deposited on Silicon by either atomic later deposition (ALD) (in collaboration with MDM, Milano, Italy) or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The study of such materials is of great importance since they are among the materials systems currently considered as a replacement of thermally grown silicon dioxide as a dielectric in future CMOS devices. My PhD work involved a multi-technique approach using Synchrotron Radiation (ESRF, Grenoble, France and ELETTRA, Trieste, Italy):

• XAS (x-ray absorption spectroscopy) (both experimental and computational approach) at both the cations (Lutetium, Ytterbium, Yttrium, Hafnium) and oxygen absorption edges to study interface properties in the following experimental conditions:
• Total reflection (reflEXAFS) in grazing incidence geometry
• Partial fluorescence yield with solid state detectors
• Total electron yield detection
• Auger Yield
• PES (photoemission spectroscopy).

These techniques were used to investigate the initial growth stages of Lu2O3, HfO2, Yb2O3, Y2O3 films deposited on clean Si(100) surface.

Attach:PhDThesis.pdf