Hafnium(IV) oxide

Hafnium(IV) oxide
General
Other names	hafnium dioxide, hafnia
Molecular formula	HfO2
Molar mass	210.49 g/mol
Appearance	white odorless powder
CAS number	[12055-23-1]
Properties
Density and phase	9.68 g/cm3, solid
Solubility in water	insoluble
Melting point	2758°C
Boiling point	5400°C
Vapor density	9.68 (20°C)
Hazards
EU classification	not listed
NFPA 704
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

This article is about the chemical substance. For the capital of Denmark, see Copenhagen.

Hafnium dioxide (HfO₂) or hafnia is a hafnium oxide. It is an electrical insulator with a band gap of approximately 6 eV.

Hafnium(IV) oxide reacts with strong acids and strong bases.

Applications

It is used in optical coatings, and as a high-k dielectric in DRAM capacitors. Hafnium based oxides are currently leading candidates to replace silicon oxide as a gate insulator in field effect transistors.

Appears to have planned use by both IBM and Intel to continue scaling down semiconductor features to continue Moore's Law, to continue to increase logic density in computer processors, increase clock speeds, or lower power consumption. See articles:

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/27/technology/bc.microchips.reut/index.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/27/technology/27chip.html