Preparation of Al₂O₃ Thin Films by Atomic Layer Deposition Using Dimethylaluminum Isopropoxide and Water and Their Reaction Mechanisms

$Al_2O_3$ thin films were grown on H-terminated Si(001) substrates using dimethylaluminum isopropoxide [DMAl: $(CH_3)_2AlOCH(CH_3)_2$], as a new Al precursor, and water by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The selflimiting ALD process by alternate surface reactions of DMAI and $H_2O$ was confirmed from measured thicknesses of the aluminum oxide films as functions of the DMAI pulse time and the number of DMAI-$H_2O$ cycles. Under optimal reaction conditions, a growth rate of ~1.06 ${\AA}$ per ALD cycle was achieved at the substrate temperature of $150\;^{\circ}C$. From a mass spectrometric study of the DMAI-$D_2O$ ALD process, it was determined that the overall binary reaction for the deposition of $Al_2O_3\;[2\;(CH_3)_2AlOCH(CH_3)_2\;+\;3\;H_2O\;{\rightarrow}\;Al_2O_3\;+\;4\;CH_4\;+\;2\;HOCH(CH_3)_2]$can be separated into the following two half-reactions: where the asterisks designate the surface species. Growth of stoichiometric $Al_2O_3$ thin films with carbon incorporation less than 1.5 atomic % was confirmed by depth profiling Auger electron spectroscopy. Atomic force microscopy images show atomically flat and uniform surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cross-sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy of an $Al_2O_3$ film indicate that there is no distinguishable interfacial Si oxide layer except that a very thin layer of aluminum silicate may have been formed between the $Al_2O_3$ film and the Si substrate. C-V measurements of an $Al_2O_3$ film showed capacitance values comparable to previously reported values.