Characterization of Al2O3 thin films fabricated through atomic layer deposition on polymeric substrates

This paper reports on the fabrication of good quality Al₂O₃ thin films on flexible substrates including polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polyamide at different temperatures down to 50 °C under very short water purging steps of 10 s. Al₂O₃ films with appreciable growth rates having good morphological, chemical, electrical and optical characteristics have been produced. Growth rates of 1.16, 1.14 and 1.15 Å/cycle have been observed at 50 °C for PET, PEN and polyamide substrates respectively. The surface morphology has been improved with the increase in deposition temperature. Low average arithmetic roughness of 0.88 and 0.78 nm have been recorded for the Al₂O₃ films deposited at 150 °C on PEN and polyamide respectively. The XPS analysis confirmed the fabrication of Al₂O₃ films without any carbon contamination and Al 2p, Al 2s and O 1s peaks were appeared at binding energies of 74, 119 and 531 eV, respectively. Excellent insulating properties were observed for the Al₂O₃ films and optical transmittance of more than 85 % was recorded in the visible region. The experimental results suggest that polymeric materials are excellent candidates to be used as substrates in the fabrication of Al₂O₃ thin films through atomic layer deposition.     

X-ray mirrors on flexible polymer substrates fabricated by atomic layer deposition

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques were used to fabricate W/Al₂O₃ superlattices with high X-ray reflectivity on flexible Kapton® polyimide and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) polymer substrates. Reflectivities of 78% and 74% at λ = 1.54 Å were measured for 6-bilayer W/Al₂O₃ superlattices on Kapton® polyimide and PEN, respectively. These excellent X-ray reflectivities are attributed to precise bilayer thicknesses and ultrasmooth interfaces obtained by ALD and smoothing of the initial polymer surface by an Al₂O₃ ALD layer. The conformal ALD film growth also produces correlated roughness that enhances the reflectivity. These W/Al₂O₃ superlattices on flexible polymers should be useful for ultralight and adjustable radius of curvature X-ray mirrors.     

Ultrathin oxide films by atomic layer deposition on graphene

In this paper, a method is presented to create and characterize mechanically robust, free-standing, ultrathin, oxide films with controlled, nanometer-scale thickness using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on graphene. Aluminum oxide films were deposited onto suspended graphene membranes using ALD. Subsequent etching of the graphene left pure aluminum oxide films only a few atoms in thickness. A pressurized blister test was used to determine that these ultrathin films have a Young's modulus of 154 ± 13 GPa. This Young's modulus is comparable to much thicker alumina ALD films. This behavior indicates that these ultrathin two-dimensional films have excellent mechanical integrity. The films are also impermeable to standard gases suggesting they are pinhole-free. These continuous ultrathin films are expected to enable new applications in fields such as thin film coatings, membranes, and flexible electronics.     

Low temperature atomic layer deposition of titania thin films

This paper presents a comprehensive study of atomic layer deposition of TiO₂ films on silicon and polycarbonate substrates using TiCl₄ and H₂O as precursors at temperatures in the range 80-120 °C. An in-situ quartz crystal microbalance was used to monitor different processing conditions and the resultant films were characterised ex-situ using a suite of surface analytical tools. In addition, the contact angle and wettability of as-deposited and UV irradiated films were assessed. The latter was found to reduce the contact angle from ≥ 80° to < 10°. Finally, the effect of surface pre-treatment on film toughness and adhesion was investigated and the results show a significant improvement for the pre-treated films.     

Spatial atomic layer deposition of zinc oxide thin films

Zinc oxide thin films have been deposited at high growth rates (up to ~1 nm/s) by spatial atomic layer deposition technique at atmospheric pressure. Water has been used as oxidant for diethylzinc (DEZ) at deposition temperatures between 75 and 250 °C. The electrical, structural (crystallinity and morphology), and optical properties of the films have been analyzed by using Hall, four-point probe, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence, respectively. All the films have c-axis (100) preferential orientation, good crystalline quality and high transparency (～ 85%) in the visible range. By varying the DEZ partial pressure, the electrical properties of ZnO can be controlled, ranging from heavily n-type conductive (with 4 mOhm.cm resistivity for 250 nm thickness) to insulating. Combining the high deposition rates with a precise control of functional properties (i.e., conductivity and transparency) of the films, the industrially scalable spatial ALD technique can become a disruptive manufacturing method for the ZnO-based industry.     

Monocrystalline zinc oxide films grown by atomic layer deposition

In the present work we report on the monocrystalline growth of (00.1) ZnO films on GaN template by the Atomic Layer Deposition technique. The ZnO films were obtained at temperature of 300 °C using dietylzinc (DEZn) as a zinc precursor and deionized water as an oxygen precursor. High resolution X-ray diffraction analysis proves that ZnO layers are monocrystalline with rocking curve FWHM of the 00.2 peak equals to 0.07°. Low temperature photoluminescence shows a sharp and bright excitonic line with FWHM of 13 meV.     

Luminescence from single CdSe nanocrystals embedded in ZnO thin films using atomic layer deposition

We report the embedding of CdSe/ZnS core-shell nanocrystals into thin films of ZnO grown by atomic layer deposition. Fluorescence from ensembles and that from individual nanocrystals show that the nanocrystal luminescence intensity and stability are preserved through the embedding process. These results are encouraging for the fabrication of optoelectronic nanodevices based on colloidal nanoparticles.     

Characterizations of NbAlO thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

Niobium-aluminate (NbAlO) thin films have been prepared on silicon (100) with different Nb₂O₅:Al₂O₃ growth cycle ratio by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The structural, chemical and optical properties of NbAlO thin films are investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The results show that all the obtained NbAlO films are amorphous and fully oxidized. It is also found that the proportion of components in the NbAlO film can be well-controlled by varying the ALD growth cycles of the independent oxides. Furthermore, the refraction index of the prepared films is observed to increase with an increase of the concentration of Nb in the mixtures.     

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of lead sulfide quantum wells fabricated by atomic layer deposition

We report the use of scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) to investigate one-dimensional quantum confinement effects in lead sulfide (PbS) thin films. Specifically, quantum confinement effects on the band gap of PbS quantum wells were explored by controlling the PbS film thickness and potential barrier height. PbS quantum well structures with a thickness range of 1-20?nm were fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Two barrier materials were selected based on barrier height: aluminum oxide as a high barrier material and zinc oxide as a low barrier material. Band gap measurements were carried out by STS, and an effective mass theory was developed to compare the experimental results. Our results show that the band gap of PbS thin films increased as the film thickness decreased, and the barrier height increased from 0.45 to 2.19?eV.     

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Control of crystallinity and orientation

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes are intensely looked for to extend the usability of the technique to applications where sensitive substrates such as polymers or biological materials need to be coated by high-quality thin films. A preferred film orientation, on the other hand, is often required to enhance the desired film properties. Here we demonstrate that smooth, crystalline ZnO thin films can be deposited from diethylzinc and water by ALD even at room temperature. The depositions were carried out on Si(100) substrates in the temperature range from 23 to 140 °C. Highly c-axis-oriented films were realized at temperatures below ~ 80 °C. The film crystallinity could be further enhanced by post-deposition annealing under O₂ or N₂ atmosphere at 400-600 °C while keeping the original film orientation intact.     

Goniocolorimetric study of aluminum oxide films deposited by atomic layer deposition

The interference colors resulting from thin films of Al₂O₃ deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on silicon have been rigorously analyzed using a recently developed robotic gonioreflectometer. A series of eleven increasingly thick films was deposited, up to 1613 Å, and their reflectance values obtained for the visible spectrum. A comparison of these values with the predictions of computer simulations employing Fresnel equations has revealed that while there was generally good agreement between predicted and measured spectra, there are some spectral regions that exhibit large deviations from predicted reflectances, typically at near-normal measurement angles and shorter wavelengths. The effect of these discrepancies on color appearance was investigated in the CIE L*a*b* color space for the daylight illuminant D65. Large iridescence is both predicted and measured for most film thicknesses. Chroma and hue differences as large as 20 CIELAB units between the predicted and the measured color centers were obtained. Simulation also predicts larger iridescence than what is actually measured. A likely cause for the observed discrepancies is that the dielectric constants of the ALD films deviate from the literature values for the bulk material.     

Properties of tantalum oxide thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

Thin tantalum oxide films were deposited using atomic layer deposition from TaCl₅ and H₂O at temperatures in the range 80–500 °C. The films deposited at temperatures below 300 °C were predominantly amorphous, whereas those grown at higher temperatures were polycrystalline containing the phases TaO₂ and Ta₂O₅. The oxygen to tantalum mass concentration ratio corresponded to that of TaO₂ at all growth temperatures. The optical band gap was close to 4.2 eV for amorphous films and ranged from 3.9 to 4.5 eV for polycrystalline films. The refractive index measured at λ = 550 nm increased from 1.97 to 2.20 with an increase in growth temperature from 80 to 300 °C. The films deposited at 80 °C showed low absorption with absorption coefficients of less than 100 cm⁻¹ in the visible region.     

Sidewall GaAs tunnel junctions fabricated using molecular layer epitaxy

In this article we review the fundamental properties and applications of sidewall GaAs tunnel junctions. Heavily impurity-doped GaAs epitaxial layers were prepared using molecular layer epitaxy (MLE), in which intermittent injections of precursors in ultrahigh vacuum were applied, and sidewall tunnel junctions were fabricated using a combination of device mesa wet etching of the GaAs MLE layer and low-temperature area-selective regrowth. The fabricated tunnel junctions on the GaAs sidewall with normal mesa orientation showed a record peak current density of 35 000 A cm^-2. They can potentially be used as terahertz devices such as a tunnel injection transit time effect diode or an ideal static induction transistor.     

Sidewall GaAs tunnel junctions fabricated using molecular layer epitaxy

Abstract

In this article we review the fundamental properties and applications of sidewall GaAs tunnel junctions. Heavily impurity-doped GaAs epitaxial layers were prepared using molecular layer epitaxy (MLE), in which intermittent injections of precursors in ultrahigh vacuum were applied, and sidewall tunnel junctions were fabricated using a combination of device mesa wet etching of the GaAs MLE layer and low-temperature area-selective regrowth. The fabricated tunnel junctions on the GaAs sidewall with normal mesa orientation showed a record peak current density of 35 000 A cm^-2. They can potentially be used as terahertz devices such as a tunnel injection transit time effect diode or an ideal static induction transistor.     

Growing oriented AlN films on sapphire substrates by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

Technical Physics Letters - The possibility of growing oriented AlN films on Al2O3 substrates at temperatures below 300°C by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition was examined. The samples...     

Preferential growth of ZnO thin films by the atomic layer deposition technique

Preferred orientation of ZnO thin films deposited by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique could be manipulated by deposition temperature. In this work, diethyl zinc (DEZn) and deionized water (H(2)O) were used as a zinc source and oxygen source, respectively. The results demonstrated that (10.0) dominant ZnO thin films were grown in the temperature range of 155-220?°C. The c-axis crystal growth of these films was greatly suppressed. Adhesion of anions (such as fragments of an ethyl group) on the (00.2) polar surface of the ZnO thin film was believed to be responsible for this suppression. In contrast, (00.2) dominant ZnO thin films were obtained between 220 and 300?°C. The preferred orientations of (10.0) and (00.2) of the ZnO thin films were examined by XRD texture analysis. The texture analysis results agreed well with the alignments of ZnO nanowires (NWs) which were grown from these ZnO thin films. In this case, the nanosized crystals of ZnO thin films acted as seeds for the growth of ZnO nanowires (NWs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The highly (00.2) textured ZnO thin films deposited at high temperatures, such as 280?°C, contained polycrystals with the c?axis perpendicular to the substrate surface and provided a good template for the growth of vertically aligned ZnO NWs.     

Growth of aluminum nitride thin films prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films were deposited by atomic layer deposition from aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) and an ammonia/hydrogen plasma. The most important role of the ammonia/hydrogen plasma was to act as a reducing agent to extract Cl from AlCl₃, and to form AlN subsequently. The growth rate was saturated at ∼0.042 nm/cycle, and the thickness was proportional to the number of reaction cycles. Repeating this reaction cycle led to precisely controlled growth. The film properties were analyzed using Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis. The concentration of chlorine and hydrogen impurities was 0.23 and 2.01 at.%, respectively. AlN films showed good anti-oxidation properties when O₂ was annealed at 650 °C for 30 min.     

Electrical properties of quaternary HfAlTiO thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

Quaternary alloyed HfAlTiO thin (~ 4-5 nm) films in the wide range of Ti content have been grown on Si substrates by Atomic Layer Deposition technique, and the effect of both the film composition and the interfacial reactions on the electrical properties of HfAlTiO films is investigated. It is shown that depending on the Ti content, the permittivity and the leakage current density I_leak in HfAlTiO films vary in the range k = 18 ÷ 28 and 0.01-2.4 A cm^− 2, respectively. The incorporation of ultra thin SiN interlayer in Al/HfAlTiO/SiN/Si stack gives rise to the sharp (× 10³) decrease of the I_leak ~ 6 · 10^− 5 A/cm² at the expense of the rather low capacitance equivalent thickness ~ 0.9 nm.