Electronic and structural characteristics of Zr-incorporated Gd₂ O₃ films on strained SiGe substrates

Zr-incorporated Gd₂ O₃ films were grown on various substrates as a function of Zr content. The extent of interfacial reactions was found to be critically dependent on both the incorporated Zr content and the substrate type. Specifically, the silicide layer was suppressed and the Gd ₂ O₃ phase was changed to ZrO₂ on a Si substrate with increasing Zr content. Crystalline Gd2 Ge₂ O ₇ was grown on a Ge substrate, as the result of interfacial reactions between Gd-oxide and the Ge substrate. However, interfacial reactions were not affected by the amount of Zr incorporated. On the SiGe/Si substrate, reactions between Gd-oxide and Si could be controlled effectively by the incorporation of Zr, while the extent of reactions with Ge was significantly enhanced as the Zr content increased. The formation of an interfacial layer between the film and the SiGe substrate resulted in a textured crystalline growth.