Controlled growth of aluminum oxide thin films on hydrogen terminated Si(001) surface

Abstract Auger electron spectroscopy, energy electron loss spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize ultra-thin aluminum oxide films grown on hydrogen-terminated Si(0 0 1)–H substrates via a specific atomic layer deposition and oxidation technique. Oxide thin films grown in such a way are highly stable with temperature at least up to 700 °C. Band gap was estimated to be 6.6±0.2 eV, independent of thickness. Formation of the oxide layer slightly increases the initial roughness of silicon surface. Furthermore, no silicon oxide was found at the aluminum oxide–silicon interface.