Island growth in the atomic layer deposition of zirconium oxide and aluminum oxide on hydrogen-terminated silicon: Growth mode modeling and transmission electron microscopy

• DOI: 10.1063/1.1787624
• Publication Date: 2004-10-28T22:13:17Z
• Authors: Riikka L. Puurunen; Wilfried Vandervorst; Wim F. A. Besling; Olivier Richard; Hugo Bender; Thierry Conard; Chao Zhao; Annelies Delabie; Matty Caymax; Stefan De Gendt; Marc Heyns; Minna M. Viitanen; Marco de Ridder; Hidde H. Brongersma; Yde Tamminga; Thuy Dao; Toon de Win; Marcel Verheijen; Monja Kaiser; Marko Tuominen
• Keywords: Island growth

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used in applications where inorganic material layers with uniform thickness down to the nanometer range are required. For such thicknesses, growth mode, defining how arranged on surface during growth, of critical importance. In this work, mode zirconium tetrachloride∕water and trimethyl aluminum∕water ALD process hydrogen-terminated silicon was investigated by combining information total amount deposited fraction material. The measured Rutherford backscattering, x-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy, fractions low-energy ion scattering. Growth modeling made assuming two-dimensional or random (RD), a “shower model” RD recently developed for ALD. Experimental ALD-grown oxide aluminum films were lower than calculated RD, suggesting occurrence island growth. Island confirmed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, from which size number islands per unit area could also be estimated. conclusion contradicts earlier observations. physical observed TEM after 15 reaction cycles. Earlier, thicker have been analyzed, not because they already coalesced form continuous film. unreactivity towards reactants, except reactive defect areas, proposed as origin Consequently, can regarded “undesired surface-selective ALD.”