Method of forming a metal oxide dielectric

A method of forming a high dielectric constant film on a silicon surface comprising:

• removing a silicon oxide film from a silicon surface with an aqueous HF solution to generate a hydrophobic silicon hydride surface;
• treating said hydrophobic silicon hydride surface with a solution comprising hydrogen peroxide to convert said hydrophobic silicon hydride surface to a hydrophilic silicon hydroxide surface;
• exposing said hydrophilic silicon hydroxide surface to a metal halide to form a metal halide terminated silicon surface;
• and
• exposing said metal halide terminated silicon surface to water vapor to form a metal oxide dielectric film on said silicon surface.

A method of forming a metal oxide dielectric layer on a semiconductor surface comprising:

• converting a semiconductor surface into a hydrophilic semiconductor surface;
• exposing said hydrophilic semiconductor surface to a precursor comprising a metal halide;
• reacting said metal halide with said hydrophilic semiconductor surface to form a metal halide terminated semiconductor surface;
• and
• treating said metal halide terminated semiconductor surface to form a metal oxide dielectric film on said semiconductor surface.