Self-limiting deposition of aluminum oxide thin films by pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)
Self-limiting deposition of aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) thin films was accomplished by pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using a continuous delivery of trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and O{sub 2}. Film characterization included spectroscopic ellipsometry and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Deposition rates scaled with TMA exposure and could be controlled over a large range of 1-20 A/pulse. For fixed conditions, digital control over film thickness is demonstrated. Deposition rates initially decreased with substrate temperature before becoming constant for T{sub s}>100 deg. C. Higher growth rates at low temperature are attributed to the thermal reaction between H{sub 2}O, produced during the plasma on step, with TMA during the plasma off step. Gas-phase analysis confirms the coexistence of these species, and their degree of overlap is a strong function of the chamber wall temperature. With both the substrate and chamber wall temperature elevated, impurities related to carbon and hydroxyl groups are attenuated below the detection limit of FTIR.
- OSTI ID:
- 21192373
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 26, Issue 4; Conference: 54. international AVS symposium, Seattle, WA (United States), 14-19 Oct 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1116/1.2891258; (c) 2008 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1553-1813
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Plasma-enhanced and thermal atomic layer deposition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} using dimethylaluminum isopropoxide, [Al(CH{sub 3}){sub 2}({mu}-O{sup i}Pr)]{sub 2}, as an alternative aluminum precursor
Self-limiting growth of tantalum oxide thin films by pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition