Abstract
An advanced bilayer gate dielectric stack consisting of
Sc
2
O
3
∕
La
2
O
3
∕
Si
O
x
annealed in nitrogen at
300
°
C
was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy using bias dependent imaging. By changing the sample bias, electrical properties of different layers of the dielectric stack can be studied. At a sample bias of
+
3.5
V
, the conduction band of the
La
2
O
3
layer is probed revealing a polycrystalline film with an average grain size of about
27
nm
, in good agreement with that determined from planar transmission electron microscopy. High conductivity at grain boundaries, due possibly to dangling bonds, can be observed in this layer, as also observed in grain boundary assisted current conduction in metal-oxide-silicon structures. Imaging at a sample bias of
−
4
V
probes the interfacial
Si
O
x
layer and an amorphouslike image of the interfacial layer is obtained.