Controlled growth of aluminum oxide thin films on hydrogen terminated Si(0 0 1) surface

Auger electron spectroscopy, energy electron loss spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize ultra-thin aluminum oxide films grown on hydrogen-terminated Si(0 0 1)–H substrates via a specific atomic layer deposition and oxidation technique. Oxide thin films grown in such a way are highly stable with temperature at least up to 700 °C. Band gap was estimated to be 6.6±0.2 eV, independent of thickness. Formation of the oxide layer slightly increases the initial roughness of silicon surface. Furthermore, no silicon oxide was found at the aluminum oxide–silicon interface.