Dim-Lee Kwong received his B.S. degree in Physics and M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering, both from the National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, in 1977 and 1979, respectively. In 1982 he received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Rice University and received Best Dissertation Award. He was an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Notre Dame during the years 1982-1985. He was a Visiting Scientist at the IBM General Technology Division, Essex Junction, Vermont during the summer of 1985 working on 4 Megabit DRAM technology. He joined The University of Texas at Austin, Microelectronics Research Center and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1985 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1986 and to Full Professor in 1990.

Prof. Kwong received numerous awards including the IBM Faculty Award in 1984 and the Engineering Foundation Teaching Award from The University of Texas at Austin in 1994, holds the Earl N. and Margaret Brasfield Endowed Fellowship, is the author of more than 310 referred archival journal and 280 referred archival conference proceedings publications, has presented more than 47 invited talks at international conferences, and has been awarded with more than 23 U.S. patents. His current areas of research interests include high-K gate dielectrics and dual metal gate electrodes for both Si- and Ge-channel MOSFETs, nonvolatile memory devices based on Si/Ge/metal nanocrystal, high-K, and polymer, and CMOS RF and mixed signal technologies. 43 students received their Ph.D. degrees under his supervision.

Sponsored Research

• High-K dielectrics for logic, analog, and memory applications
• High-K gate stack scaling and reliability
• Thermally robust metal gate electrodes for dual-gate CMOS
• On-chip high-K metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors for GHz analog and mixed signal applications
• Si/Ge and metal nanocrystal memory devices
• Schottky source/drain MOSFETs
• RF CMOS technology
• Ge-based high mobility channel CMOS
• Polymer nonvolatile memory devices

Selected Publications in 2004

1. “TDDB and Polarity-Dependent reliability of High Quality Ultra Thin CVD HfO2 Gate Stack with TaN Gate Electrode”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(1), pp. 13-15, January 2004.

2. “Reliability Characteristics of poly Si-gated High Quality CVD Hafnium Oxide Gate Dielectric”, Japanese J. Applied Physics, 43(2), pp. 427-431, February 2004.

3. “Robust High-Quality HfN/HfO2 Gate Stack for Advanced MOS Device Applications”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(2), pp. 70-72, February 2004.

4. “On the mechanism of ion-implanted As diffusion in relaxed SiGe”, Applied Surface Science, Vol. 224, pp. 59-62, 2004

5. “Fermi Level Pinning Induced Thermal Instability in the Effective Work Function of TaN in TaN/SiO2 Gate Stack”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(3), pp. 123-125, March 2004.

6. “Al2O3/Ge-On-Insulator n- and p-MOSFETs with Fully NiSi and NiGe Dual Gates”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(3), pp. 138-140, March 2004.

7. “Light Emission Near 1.3 um using ITO/Al2O3/GexSi1-x/Si Tunnel Diode”, Photonics Technology Letter, January 2004.

8. “A Novol MONOS Type Nonvolatile Memory Using High-K Dielectrics for Improved Data Retention and Programming Speed”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 51(4), pp. 597-602, April 2004.

9. “Fermi Pinning in Metal Gate Transistors Induced by Localized Extrinsic States”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(5), pp. 337-339, May 2004.

10. "Thermally Robust HfN Metal as a Promising Gate Electrode for Advanced MOS Device Application", IEEE Transaction on Electron Devices, Vol. 51(4), pp. 609-615, April 2004.

11. "The Thermal Stability of N incorporated in HfOxNy by reactive sputtering", Applied Physics Letters, 84(9), pp. 1588-1590, March 2004.

12. “Effect of surface NH3 anneal on physical and electrical properties of MOCVD HfO2 films on Ge substrate,” Applied Physics Letters, 84(19), pp. 3741-3743, May 2004.

13. “RF, DC and Reliability Characteristics of Atomic Layer Deposited HfO2-Al2O3 Laminate MIM Capacitors for Si RF IC Applications”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 51(6), pp. 886-894, June 2004.

14. “Schottky Source/Drain MOSFETs with high-K gate dielectrics and metal gate electrode”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(5), pp. 268-270, May 2004.

15. "Formation of Ge nanocrystals in HfA1O high-k dielectric and application in memory device", Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 84, pp. 5407-5409, June 2004.

16. "Thermally Stable Fully Silicided Hf-Silicide Metal Gate Electrode", IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(6), pp. 372-374, June 2004.

17. "Mobility Enhancement in TaN Metal Gate MOSFETs Using Tantalum Incorporated HfO2 Gate Dielectrics", IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(7), pp. 501-503, July 2004.

18. "Formation of SiGe Nanocrystals in HfO2 Using in situ CVD for Memory Applications", Applied Physics Letter, Vol. 84, pp. 4331-4333, May 2004.

19. "ALD (HfO2)x(Al2O3)1-x high-K gate dielectrics for advanced MOS devices application", Thin Solid FIlms, Vol. 462-463, pp. 110-113, September 20042004.

20. "Improvement of Voltage Linearity in High-K MIM Capacitors Using HfO2/SiO2 Stacked Dielectric", IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(8), pp. 538-540, August 2004.

21. "Fully silicided NiSi:Hf/LaAlO3/smart-Cut-Ge-On-Insulator n-MOSFETs with high electron mobility", IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(8), pp. 559-561, August 2004.

22. "A Dual-Metal Gate Integration Process for CMOS with Sub-1 nm EOT HfO2 by Using HfN Replacement Gate", IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(8), pp. 580-582, August 2004.

23. "N-type Schottky Barrier Source/Drain MOSFET Using Ytterbium Silicide", IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(8), pp. 565-567, August 2004.

24. “Work Function Tuning of Fully Silicided NiSi Metal Gates Using TiN Capping Layer”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(9), pp. 610-612, September 2004.

25. "Feasibility study of using thin aluminum nitride film as a buffer layer for dual metal gate process", Thin Solid Films, Vol. 462-463, pp. 15-18, September 2004.

26. “Evidence and Understanding of Atomic-Layer-Deposited HfO2-Al2O3 Laminate MIM Capacitors Outperforming Sandwitch Counterparts”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, October 2004.

27. “Electron Mobility in Ge and Stained-Si Channel Ultra Thin Body MOSFETs”, Applied Physics Letters, 85(12), pp. 2402-2404, September 2004.

28. “A TaN/HfO2/Ge pMOSFET with Novel SiH4 Surface Passivation”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(9), pp. 631-633, September 2004.

29. “MOS Characteristics of Synthesized HfAlON/HfO2 Stack Using AlN/HfO2”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, 25(9), pp. 619-621, September 2004.

30. “Thermal Instability of Effective Work Function in Metal/High-K Gate Stack and Its Material Dependence”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, November 2004.

31. “Metal Gate Work Function Engineering on Gate Leakage of MOSFETs”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, November 2004.

32. "An alternative surface passivation on germanium for metal-oxide-semiconductor applications with high-K gate dielectric", Applied Physics Letters, November 2004.

33. “Threshold Voltage (Vth) Instability in HfO2 High-k Gate Stacks with TiN Metal Gate: Comparison between NH3 and O3 Interface Treatments”, IEEE Electron Device Letters, November 2004.

34. “A Simple Approach to Fabrication of High-Quality HfSiON Gate Dielectrics With Improved nMOSFET Performances”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, November 2004

35. "A Non-volatile Polymer Memory Device Based on a Novel Copolymer of N-Vinylcarbazole and Eu-complexed Vinylbenzonate", Advanced Materials, November 2004.

36. “Nonvolatile Flash Memory Device Using Ge Nanocrystals Embedded in HfAlO High-K Tunneling and Control Oxides: Device Fabrication and Electrical Performance”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, November 2004.

37. “Laminated Metal Gate Electrode with Tunable Work Function for Advanced CMOS”, IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology, Technical Digest, pp. 188-189, 2004.

38. “High Mobility and Excellent Electrical Stability of MOSFETs Using a Novel HfTaO Gate Dielectric”, IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology, Technical Digest, pp. 110-111, 2004.

39. “Engineering of Voltage Nonlinearity in High-K MIM Capacitor for Analog/Mixed-Signal ICs”, IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology, Technical Digest, pp. 218-219, 2004.

40. “A Tunable and Program-Erasable Capacitor on Si with Long Tuning Memory”, IEEE RF-IC Symposium Tech. Dig., pp. 259-262, 2004.

41. “Narrow-Band Band-pass Filters on Silicon Substrates at 30 GHz”, IEEE International Microwave Symposium, MTT-S, Tech. Dig., pp. 1467-1470, 2004.

42. “Hot-Carrier Reliability of HfSiON NMOSFETs with Poly and TiN Gate Electrode”, IEEE Device Research Conference (DRC), 2004.

43. “A Novel Program-Erasable Capacitor Using High-K AlN Dielectrics”, IEEE Device Research Conference (DRC), 2004.

44. “Low Workfunction Fully Silicided Gate on SiO2/Si and LaAlO3/GOI n-MOSFETs”, IEEE Device Research Conference (DRC), 2004.

45. “A Novel Surface Passivation Process for HfO2 Ge MOSFETs”, IEEE Device Research Conference (DRC), 2004.

46. “Study of mobility in strained Si and Ge ultra-thin body MOSFETs”, Extended Abstracts of 2004 Int’l Solid-State Devices& Materials Conf. (SSDM), pp. 776-777, 2004.

47. “A Novel Dual-Metal Gate Integration Process for Sub-1nm EOT HfO2 CMOS Devices”, Extended Abstracts of 2004 Int’l Solid-State Devices& Materials Conf. (SSDM), pp. 198-199, 2004.

48. “Thermal Stability of Metal Gate Work Functions”, Extended Abstracts of 2004 Int’l Solid-State Devices& Materials Conf. (SSDM), pp. 712-713, 2004.

49. “Top-Surface Aluminized and Nitrided Hafnium Oxide Using Synthesis of Thin AlN and HfO2 Stacked Layer”, Extended Abstracts of 2004 Int’l Solid-State Devices& Materials Conf. (SSDM), pp. 750-751, 2004.

50. “Behavior of Effective Work Function in Metal/High-K Gate Stack under High Temperature Process”, Extended Abstracts of 2004 Int’l Solid-State Devices& Materials Conf. (SSDM), pp. 202-203, 2004.

51. “High Performance fully silicided NiSi:Hf gate on LaAlO3/GOI n-MOSFET with Little Fermi-level Pinning”, Extended Abstracts of 2004 Int’l Solid-State Devices& Materials Conf. (SSDM), pp. 746-747, 2004.

52. “Frequency Dependent Dynamic Charge Trapping in HfO2 and Threshold Voltage Instability in MOSFETs”, Proceedings of IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS), 2004.

53. “Molybdenum-Gate HfO2 CMOS FinFET Technology”, International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), Technical Digest, 2004.

54. “Negative U traps in HfO2 gate dielectrics and frequency dependence of dynamic BTI in MOSFETs”, International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), Technical Digest, 2004.

55. “Impact of surface roughness on silicon & germanium ultra-thin-body MOSFETs”, International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), Technical Digest, 2004.

56. “Substituted aluminum metal gate on high-k dielectric for low work-function and Fermi-level pinning free”, International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), Technical Digest, 2004.

57. “Germanium p- & n-MOSFETs fabricated with novel surface passivation (plasma-PH3 and AlN) andHfO2/TaN gate stack”, International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), Technical Digest, 2004.

Current Research Group