Paper detail

Wafer-scale High-k SrTiO3 Dielectrics with Rational Barrier-layer Design for Low Leakage and High Charge Density

High-k oxides such as SrTiO3 promise large capacitance, but their dielectric response is often limited by leakage currents due to reduced bandgaps. We show that introducing a thin barrier layer beneath SrTiO3 is a simple and effective way to suppress leakage and increase charge density. Using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy, we grew uniform SrTiO3 films on Nb:SrTiO3, CaSnO3/Nb:SrTiO3, and 2-inch SiO2/p-Si stacks to directly compare how different barrier layers influence device behavior. Both CaSnO3 and SiO2 reduce leakage, but the ultra-wide-bandgap SiO2 layer enables much higher operating voltages, yielding charge densities exceeding 5x10^13 cm^-2 at room temperature - more than a fivefold enhancement compared to devices without a barrier layer. This improvement comes with a predictable trade-off: the lower dielectric constant of SiO2 reduces overall capacitance, making its thickness an important design parameter. Together, these results demonstrate that rational barrier-layer engineering - including wafer-scale integration on Si - provides a clear pathway to achieving higher charge densities in SrTiO3-based dielectric devices.