Fabrication of aluminum oxide thin films by a low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique

Abstract

Amorphous Al2O3 thin films were grown on Si(100) and glass substrates by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using aluminum acetylacetonate and water vapor as source materials. Water vapor played an important role in the oxidation process and produced carbon-free, pure Al2O3 films. The deposition temperature could be lowered to 230 °C. The films were characterized by means of x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and ellipsometry.