Characterizations of Al2O3/ZnO Grown on Si Substrate by Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

Abstract

Several characterizations of nanolaminate Al2O3/ZnO oxide films grown on Si substrates by using plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) method were studied. PE-ALD can minimize the structural imperfections in films and reduce substrate damage. The film deposition by using PE-ALD are dense, defect-free, highly uniform, conformal films and show excellent step coverage. Moreover, compared to other deposition techniques, it is possible to deposit high quality films at much lower temperatures. The High resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) images showed the existence of sharp interfacial layers among the Al2O3, ZnO layer, and the Si substrate for the growth rate of 1.56 Å/cycle, and the surface roughness of about 0.2 nm. The nanolaminate-stacking layer can be used in OLED encapsulation application as the gas barrier.