A review of the properties of ferroelectric materials that are relevant to microwave tunable devices is presented: we discuss the theory of dielectric response of tunable bulk materials and thin films; the experimental results from the literature and from own work are reviewed; the correspondence between the theoretical results and the measured properties of tunable materials is critically analyzed; nominally pure, real (defected), and composite bulk materials and thin films are addressed. In addition, techniques for characterization of tunable ferroelectrics and applications of these materials are briefly presented.

Ferroelectric materials for microwave tunable applications

The outstanding properties of SiO2, which include high resistivity, excellent dielectric strength, a large band gap, a high melting point, and a native, low defect density interface with Si, are in large part responsible for enabling the microelectronics revolution. The Si/SiO2 interface, which forms the heart of the modern metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor, the building block of the integrated circuit, is arguably the worlds most economically and technologically important materials interface. This article summarizes recent progress and current scientific understanding of ultrathin (<4 nm) SiO2 and Si–O–N (silicon oxynitride) gate dielectrics on Si based devices. We will emphasize an understanding of the limits of these gate dielectrics, i.e., how their continuously shrinking thickness, dictated by integrated circuit device scaling, results in physical and electrical property changes that impose limits on their usefulness. We observe, in conclusion, that although Si microelectronic devices...

Ultrathin (<4 nm) SiO2 and Si-O-N gate dielectric layers for silicon microelectronics: Understanding the processing, structure, and physical and electrical limits

Conventional optics in the radio frequency (rf) through far-infrared (FIR) regime cannot resolve microscopic features since resolution in the far field is limited by wavelength. With the advent of near-field microscopy, rf and FIR microscopy have gained more attention because of their many applications including material characterization and integrated circuit testing. We provide a brief historical review of how near-field microscopy has developed, including a review of visible and infrared near-field microscopy in the context of our main theme, the principles and applications of near-field microscopy using millimeter to micrometer electromagnetic waves. We discuss and compare aspects of the remarkably wide range of different near-field techniques, which range from scattering type to aperture to waveguide structures.

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High-frequency near-field microscopy

The structure of our material world is characterized by a large hierarchy of length scales that determines material properties and functions. Increasing spatial resolution in optical imaging and spectroscopy has been a long standing desire, to provide access, in particular, to mesoscopic phenomena associated with phase separation, order, and intrinsic and extrinsic structural inhomogeneities. A general concept for the combination of optical spectroscopy with scanning probe microscopy emerged recently, extending the spatial resolution of optical imaging far beyond the diffraction limit. The optical antenna properties of a scanning probe tip and the local near-field coupling between its apex and a sample provide few-nanometer optical spatial resolution. With imaging mechanisms largely independent of wavelength, this concept is compatible with essentially any form of optical spectroscopy, including nonlinear and ultrafast techniques, over a wide frequency range from the terahertz to the extreme ultraviolet. ...

Nano-optical imaging and spectroscopy of order, phases, and domains in complex solids

Near-field microwave microscopy is concerned with quantitative measurement of the microwave electrodynamic response of materials on length scales far shorter than the free-space wavelength of the radiation. Here we review the basic concepts of near-field interactions between a source and sample, present an historical introduction to work in the field, and discuss a novel quantitative modeling approach to interpreting near-field microwave images. We discuss the spatial resolution and a number of concrete applications of near-field microwave microscopy to materials property measurements, as well as future prospects for new types of microscopy.

Principles of Near-Field Microwave Microscopy

We describe the use of a near-field scanning microwave microscope to quantitatively image the dielectric permittivity and tunability of thin-film dielectric samples on a length scale of 1 μm. We demonstrate this technique with permittivity images and local hysteresis loops of a 370-nm-thick Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin film at 7.2 GHz. We also observe the role of annealing in the recovery of dielectric tunability in a damaged region of the thin film. We can measure changes in relative permittivity er as small as 2 at er=500, and changes in dielectric tunability der/dV as small as 0.03 V−1.

Imaging of microwave permittivity, tunability, and damage recovery in (Ba, Sr)TiO3 thin films

We describe the use of a near-field scanning microwave microscope to quantitatively image the dielectric permittivity and tunability of thin-film dielectric samples on a length scale of 1 micron. We demonstrate this technique with permittivity images and local hysteresis loops of a 370 nm thick barium strontium titanate thin film at 7.2 GHz. We also observe the role of annealing in the recovery of dielectric tunability in a damaged region of the thin film. We can measure changes in relative permittivity as small as 2 at 500, and changes in dielectric tunability as small as 0.03 V$^{-1}$.

Imaging of Microwave Permittivity, Tunability, and Damage Recovery in (Ba,Sr)TiO3 Thin Films

By scanning a fine open-ended coaxial probe above an operating microwave device, we image local electric fields generated by the device at microwave frequencies. The probe is sensitive to the electric flux normal to the face of its center conductor, allowing different components of the field to be imaged by orienting the probe appropriately. Using a simple model of the microscope, we are able to interpret the system’s output and determine the magnitude of the electric field at the probe tip. We show images of electric field components above a copper microstrip transmission line driven at 8 GHz, with a spatial resolution of approximately 200 μm.

Imaging microwave electric fields using a near-field scanning microwave microscope

Near-field microwave microscopy has created the opportunity for a new class of electrodynamics experiments of materials. Freed from the constraints of traditional microwave optics, experiments can be carried out at high spatial resolution over a broad frequency range. In addition, the measurements can be done quantitatively so that images of microwave materials properties can be created. We review the five major types of near-field microwave microscopes and discuss our own form of microscopy in detail. Quantitative images of microwave sheet resistance, dielectric constant, and dielectric tunability are presented and discussed. Future prospects for near-field measurements of microwave electrodynamic properties are also presented.

Near-Field Microwave Microscopy of Materials Properties

A near-field scanning microwave microscope images the permittivity and dielectric tunability of bulk and thin film dielectric samples on a length scale of about 1 micron or less. The microscope is sensitive to the linear permittivity, as well as to non-linear dielectric terms, which can be measured as a function of an applied electric field. A versatile finite element model is used for the system, which allows quantitive results to e obtained. The technique is non-destructive and has broadband (0.1-50 GHz) capability.

C. P. Vlahacos

Papers

Imaging of microwave permittivity, tunability, and damage recovery in (Ba, Sr)TiO3 thin films

Imaging of Microwave Permittivity, Tunability, and Damage Recovery in (Ba,Sr)TiO3 Thin Films

Imaging microwave electric fields using a near-field scanning microwave microscope

Near-Field Microwave Microscopy of Materials Properties

Quantitative imaging of dielectric permittivity and tunability