AVS 49th International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeA

Paper TF-WeA7
Low Temperature Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ Atomic Layer Deposition

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 4:00 pm, Room C-101

Session: Atomic Layer Deposition - Applications of ALD
Presenter: M.D. Groner, University of Colorado at Boulder
Authors: M.D. Groner, University of Colorado at Boulder
F.H. Faberguette, University of Colorado at Boulder
J.W. Elam, University of Colorado at Boulder
S.M. George, University of Colorado at Boulder
Correspondent: Click to Email
Although Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ is one of the most common dielectric materials grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD), very little is known about Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ ALD at the low temperatures. Deposition at temperatures < 150°C is required for many important coating applications such as deposition of gas diffusion barrier layers on thermally sensitive polymers. Thin Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ films were deposited by ALD at low temperatures in a viscous flow reactor using alternating exposures of trimethylaluminum and water. Deposition temperatures ranged from ~ 30°C to 125°C. The properties of Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ ALD films grown on Si(100) substrates were studied versus growth temperature. Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ film thicknesses, growth rates, densities, and optical properties were determined using surface profilometry, atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and ellipsometry measurements. In addition, current-voltage (IV) and capacitance-voltage (CV) measurements were employed to evaluate the electrical properties of the low temperature Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ ALD films. The film densities and dielectric constants were reduced at the lower deposition temperatures. However, deposition at lower temperatures still achieved conformal Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ growth. Low temperature Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ ALD was also demonstrated on polymeric substrates. Preliminary measurements have characterized the effects of these Al@sub 2@O@sub 3@ ALD films on gas permeabilities.