Abstract
Iridium oxide ( IrO2) thin films were successfully grown by a DC magnetron reactive sputtering method. It was found that the crystalline nature and morphology of IrO2 films were strongly dependent on the oxygen partial pressure, total pressure and growth temperature. The growth of IrO2 is well explained by the generic curve for the total pressure as a function of O2 content. The films showed good barrier performance between Pt and poly-Si up to 750° C. A 40-nm-thick Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 film was grown by RF magnetron sputtering on the Pt/IrO2/poly-Si electrode. The leakage current density and dielectric constant of a Pt/Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3/Pt capacitor on the IrO2/poly-Si electrode were comparable to those of the capacitor on a SiO2/Si substrate. However, an additional ohmic layer was required to prevent the formation of a SiO2 layer between the IrO2 and poly-Si.