Growth of Dielectric Al2O3 Films by Atomic layer Deposition

A great interest is devoted to the development of memories having both high density and low energy consumption for application in personal computers and in automated electronic devices. This target can be achieved if a high dielectric material is obtained. One of the most promising candidates is aluminium oxide, Al2O3, due to its high dielectric constant ( 10), wide band gap ( 8 eV) and thermal stability. Al2O3 can be prepared as an amorphous layer, consequently avoiding strain and electrically active states at the interface between the oxide and the substrate material. In this communication we report on the growth of amorphous Al2O3 layers on n-type silicon.