Conduction Mechanisms and Breakdown Characteristics of $\hbox{Al}_{2}\hbox{O}_{3}$-Doped $\hbox{ZrO}_{2}$ High-$k$ Dielectrics for Three-Dimensional Stacked Metal–Insulator–Metal Capacitors

This paper presents the results of I-V and constant-voltage-stress measurements on symmetrical dielectric ZrO
₂
/Al
₂
O
₃
/ZrO
₂
film stacks of different thicknesses. The films were grown by atomic layer deposition and structured into cylindrical metal-insulator-metal capacitors. The temperature-dependent leakage characteristics and time-dependent dielectric breakdown behaviors were investigated. A correlation was found between the structural composition, the defect density, and the conduction mechanism.