Thin film ferroelectric structures are being investigated for use as storage capacitors for Non-volatile Random-Access Memories. To integrate ferroelectrics with standard silicon semiconductor processing, a great deal of effort must be spent identifying compatible materials. These materials must be able to withstand both ferroelectric and silicon processing steps involving different temperatures and environments.
In this paper we have used Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) to study the diffusion of ferroelectric Pb(Zr.5Ti.5)O3 elements into thin films of TiOx, TiNx, ZrNx and ZrOx deposited onto thermally grown SiO2. The sample matrix was annealed at various temperatures in argon ambient and analyzed using 2 MeV He+. Diffusion profiles (concentration vs. depth profiles) of the ferroelectric constituents were determined for the different barrier films. Results indicated that ZrN is the most promising barrier layer so far, having shown the least interdiffusion at 700°C.