Effects of rapid thermal annealing on structural, chemical, and electrical characteristics of atomic-layer deposited lanthanum doped zirconium dioxide thin film on 4H-SiC substrate

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Studies of RTA temperatures on La doped ZrO2 atomic layer deposited on 4HSiC. • Oxygen vacancies improved insulating and catalytic properties of La doped ZrO2. • 700 °C annealed sample showed the highest EB, k value, and sensitivity on O2. • La doped ZrO2 was proposed as a potential metal reactive oxide on 4H-SiC. - Abstract: Effects of rapid thermal annealing at different temperatures (700–900 °C) on structural, chemical, and electrical characteristics of lanthanum (La) doped zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) atomic layer deposited on 4H-SiC substrates have been investigated. Chemical composition depth profiling analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cross-sectional studies using high resolution transmission electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy line scan analysis were insufficient to justify the presence of La in the investigated samples. The minute amount of La present in the bulk oxide was confirmed by chemical depth profiles of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The presence of La in the ZrO₂ lattice led to the formation of oxygen vacancies, which was revealed through binding energy shift for XPS O 1s core level spectra of Zr−O. The highest amount of oxygen vacancies in the sample annealed at 700 °C has yielded the acquisition of the highest electric breakdown field (∼ 6.3 MV/cm) and dielectric constant value (k = 23) as well as the highest current–time (I–t) sensor response towards oxygen gas. The attainment of both the insulating and catalytic properties in the La doped ZrO₂ signified the potential of the doped ZrO₂ as a metal reactive oxide on 4H-SiC substrate.