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Thermal Stability of Atomic Layer Deposited Zr:Al Mixed Oxide Thin Films: An in Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2005

L.C. Nistor ,
O. Richard ,
C. Zhao ,
H. Bender  and
G. Van Tendeloo
L.C. Nistor
Affiliation:
National Institute for Materials Physics, Atomistilor 105 bis RO-77125 Magurele-Bucharest, Romania
O. Richard
Affiliation:
Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
C. Zhao
Affiliation:
Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
H. Bender
Affiliation:
Interuniversity MicroElectronics Center, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
G. Van Tendeloo
Affiliation:
Electron Microscopy for Materials Science, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
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Abstract

The thermal stability of amorphous Zr:Al mixed oxide films of different composition, produced on (001) silicon wafers by the atomic layer deposition method is studied by transmission electron microscopy during in situ heating experiments. The temperatures at which phase separation and crystallization occur are composition dependent. The crystallization of thick films (55–70 nm), deposited on HF-treated silicon surfaces covered with a 15 cycles Al2O3 layer, results in the formation of cubic ZrO2 and cubic γ–Al2O3. In very thin films (5 nm), deposited on silicon surfaces covered with a 0.5 nm SiO2 thin film, the formation of tetragonal zirconium disilicide (ZrSi2) is observed in the microscope vacuum, at temperatures above 900 °C. This effect depends on the thickness of the as deposited thin film.

Keywords

AnnealingThin filmTransmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 20 , Issue 7 , July 2005 , pp. 1741 - 1750
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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