Behavior of charges locally injected into nanothin high-k SmScO3 dielectric

The behavior of charges locally injected from the probe of an atomic force microscope into nanothin films of high-k SmScO₃ dielectric deposited on a silicon substrate is studied by the method of Kelvin probe force microscopy. Prior to examination, the films were annealed at different temperatures. At temperatures above 900°C, the amorphous as-prepared films exhibit polycrystalline inclusions. In the films annealed at 900°C, the injected charge persists for a long time that several tens of times exceeds the charge retention time observed when conventional dielectrics, such as SiO₂ and Si₃N₄, are used. In addition, the diffusion of carriers in the plane of the dielectric layers sharply slows down.