September 15, 2006 – Hitachi has developed technology to create DRAM alumina insulating films with low leakage current, which the company claims reduces DRAM power consumption by about 10% and extends battery life in mobile devices, according to the Japan Corporate News.

The process uses water instead of ozone as an alumina film material to shorten film formation time, and oxynitride film with even thickness between alumina and polysilicon (both of which have high affinity with oxynitride) to lower leakage current and increase the capacitor’s reliability.

A prototype reportedly has been created with an oxide film equivalent film thickness of 2.9nm, and leak current of <1E-9 A/sq. cm., at a plate voltage of 1V, according to the report. A time-dependent dielectric breakdown test showed that the capacitor has an extrapolated life of more than 100 years.