Surface and interfacial reaction study of half cycle atomic layer deposited HfO₂ on chemically treated GaSb surfaces

An in situ half-cycle atomic layer deposition/X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study was conducted in order to investigate the evolution of the HfO₂ dielectric interface with GaSb(100) surfaces after sulfur passivation and HCl etching, designed to remove the native oxides. With the first pulses of tetrakis(dimethylamido)hafnium(IV) and water, a decrease in the concentration of antimony oxide states present on the HCl-etched surface is observed, while antimony sulfur states diminished below the XPS detection limit on sulfur passivated surface. An increase in the amount of gallium oxide/sulfide is seen, suggesting oxygen or sulfur transfers from antimony to gallium during antimony oxides/sulfides decomposition.