Growth and characterization of Al2O3 films on fluorine functionalized epitaxial graphene

Abstract

Intelligent engineering of graphene-based electronic devices on SiC(0001) requires a better understanding of processes used to deposit gate-dielectric materials on graphene. Recently, Al2O3 dielectrics have been shown to form conformal, pinhole-free thin films by functionalizing the top surface of the graphene with fluorine prior to atomic layer deposition (ALD) of the Al2O3 using a trimethylaluminum (TMA) precursor. In this work, the functionalization and ALD-precursor adsorption processes have been studied with angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has been found that the functionalization process has a negligible effect on the electronic structure of the graphene, and that it results in a twofold increase in the adsorption of the ALD-precursor. In situ TMA-dosing and XPS studies were also performed on three different Si(100) substrates that were terminated with H, OH, or dangling Si-bonds. This dosing experiment revealed that OH is required for TMA adsorption. Based on those data along with supportive in situ measurements that showed F-functionalization increases the amount of oxygen (in the form of adsorbed H2O) on the surface of the graphene, a model for TMA-adsorption on graphene is proposed that is based on a reaction of a TMA molecule with OH.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 15, 2016
Source ID
10.1063/1.4960803

Entities

People

  • Carl A. Ventrice
  • Charles. R. Eddy Jr.
  • Eng Wen Ong
  • Glenn G. Jernigan
  • Heike Geisler
  • Hongbo Yang
  • Ivo Pletikosić
  • Sandra C. Hernandez
  • Tonica Valla
  • Tyler R. Mowll
  • Virginia D. Wheeler
  • Zachary R. Robinson

Organizations

  • Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • National Science Foundation
  • Office of Naval Research
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute
  • State University of New York at Albany
  • State University of New York at Brockport
  • State University of New York at Oneonta
  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Readers

  • Electrochemical Engineering/ Fuel Cell Technologies
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene