Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is based on self-limiting surface reactions. This and cyclic process enable the growth of conformal thin films with precise thickness control and sharp interfaces. A multilayered thin film, which is nanolaminate, can be grown using ALD with tuneable electrical and optical properties to be exploited, for example, in the microelectromechanical systems. In this work, the tunability of the residual stress, adhesion, and mechanical properties of the ALD nanolaminates composed of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) films on silicon were explored as a function of growth temperature (110–300 °C), film thickness (20–300 nm), bilayer thickness (0.1–100 nm), and TiO2 content (0%–100%). Al2O3 was grown from Me3Al and H2O, and TiO2 from TiCl4 and H2O. According to wafer curvature measurements, Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates were under tensile stress; bilayer thickness and growth temperature were the major parameters affecting the stress; the residual stress decreased with increasing bilayer thickness and ALD temperature. Hardness increased with increasing ALD temperature and decreased with increasing TiO2 fraction. Contact modulus remained approximately stable. The adhesion of the nanolaminate film was good on silicon.
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January 2017
Research Article|
November 04 2016
Aluminum oxide/titanium dioxide nanolaminates grown by atomic layer deposition: Growth and mechanical properties
Oili M. E. Ylivaara;
Oili M. E. Ylivaara
a)
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
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Lauri Kilpi;
Lauri Kilpi
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
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Xuwen Liu;
Xuwen Liu
Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Aalto University School of Chemical Technology
, P.O. Box 16200, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Sakari Sintonen;
Sakari Sintonen
Department of Micro- and Nanosciences,
Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering
, P.O. Box 13500, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Saima Ali;
Saima Ali
Department of Micro- and Nanosciences,
Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering
, P.O. Box 13500, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Mikko Laitinen;
Mikko Laitinen
Department of Physics,
University of Jyväskylä
, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Jaakko Julin;
Jaakko Julin
Department of Physics,
University of Jyväskylä
, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Eero Haimi;
Eero Haimi
Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Aalto University School of Chemical Technology
, P.O. Box 16200, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Timo Sajavaara;
Timo Sajavaara
Department of Physics,
University of Jyväskylä
, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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Harri Lipsanen;
Harri Lipsanen
Department of Micro- and Nanosciences,
Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering
, P.O. Box 13500, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Simo-Pekka Hannula;
Simo-Pekka Hannula
Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Aalto University School of Chemical Technology
, P.O. Box 16200, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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Helena Ronkainen;
Helena Ronkainen
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
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Riikka L. Puurunen
Riikka L. Puurunen
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland
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a)
Electronic mail: [email protected]
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 35, 01B105 (2017)
Article history
Received:
July 04 2016
Accepted:
October 13 2016
Citation
Oili M. E. Ylivaara, Lauri Kilpi, Xuwen Liu, Sakari Sintonen, Saima Ali, Mikko Laitinen, Jaakko Julin, Eero Haimi, Timo Sajavaara, Harri Lipsanen, Simo-Pekka Hannula, Helena Ronkainen, Riikka L. Puurunen; Aluminum oxide/titanium dioxide nanolaminates grown by atomic layer deposition: Growth and mechanical properties. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 January 2017; 35 (1): 01B105. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4966198
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