Wafer-scale high-κ HfO2 dielectric films with sub-5-Å equivalent oxide thickness for 2D MoS2 transistors

High-κ gate dielectrics are indispensable in modern transistor technology and play a pivotal role in efficient capacitive gating and suppression of leakage currents. However, the realization of industry-compatible high-κ gate dielectrics at a sub-5-Å equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) remains challenging. Here we report the realization of 1.3-nm thick hafnium oxide (HfO2) dielectrics via an industry-compatible multiple oxidation atomic layer deposition process at 200 °C. A low EOT down to 2.5 Å is demonstrated for 1.3-nm thick HfO2 dielectrics on metal gates with a low leakage current of 10−6 A/cm2 and a robust breakdown electric field of ~22.3 MV/cm. Remarkably, such low EOT high-κ/metal gates can be directly implanted into emerging two-dimensional (2D) transistors and low-power logic circuits on 8-inch wafer scale to showcase their potentials. The as-fabricated molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) transistors exhibit a large on-state current density of 260 µA/µm at source-drain bias of 0.5 V, a high on/off ratio of 108, an average subthreshold slope (SS) of 75 mV/dec, and small capacitance equivalent thickness (CET) values of 0.34 nm for gate-first transistors and 0.50 nm for gate-last transistors. Our ultra-scaled dielectrics hold significant promise for advanced semiconductor fabrication processes towards the angstrom era. The integration of high-κ dielectrics with low equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) is crucial for the development of 2D transistors. Here, the authors report the low-temperature fabrication of wafer-scale HfO2 dielectric films with sub-5-Å EOT and their application for the realization of high-performance 2D MoS2 transistors and circuits.