Charge injection and decay of nanoscale dielectric films resolved via dynamic scanning probe microscopy

To satisfy continual demands for higher performance dielectrics in multi‐layer ceramic capacitors and related microelectronic devices, novel characterization methods are necessary for mapping materials properties down to the nanoscale, where enabling materials developments are increasingly relevant....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2021-10, Vol.104 (10), p.5157-5167
Main Authors: Moran, Thomas J., Suzuki, Keigo, Hosokura, Tadasu, Khaetskii, Alexander, Huey, Bryan D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atomic force microscopy
Barium titanates
Capacitors
Charge injection
Contact potentials
Decay
Dielectrics
Discharge
Dissipation factor
Grain size
Mapping
Material properties
Microscopy
Scanning probe microscopy
Thickness
Thin films
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:To satisfy continual demands for higher performance dielectrics in multi‐layer ceramic capacitors and related microelectronic devices, novel characterization methods are necessary for mapping materials properties down to the nanoscale, where enabling materials developments are increasingly relevant. Accordingly, an atomic force microscopy‐based approach is implemented for characterizing insulator performance based on the mapping of discharging dynamics. Following surface charging by biasing a conducting tip contacting a dielectric surface, consecutive non‐contact Kelvin force surface potential mapping (KPFM) reveals charge dissipation via exponential decay. In barium titanate (BTO) thin films engineered with distinct microstructures but identical thicknesses, discharging rates vary by up to a factor of 2, with smaller grain size correlating to longer dissipation times, providing insight into optimal microstructures for improved capacitor performance. High‐resolution potential mapping as a function of time thereby provides a route for directly investigating charge injection and discharging mechanisms in dielectrics, which are increasingly engineered down to the nanoscale and have global implications given the trillions of such devices manufactured each year.
ISSN:0002-7820
1551-2916
DOI:10.1111/jace.17776