Abstract
Aiming for the investigation of insulating properties of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layers, as well as the combination of this oxide with tin dioxide (SnO2) for application in transparent field effect transistors, Al thin films are deposited by resistive evaporation on top of SnO2 thin films deposited by sol–gel dip-coating process. The oxidation of Al films to Al2O3 are carried out by thermal annealing at 500 °C in room conditions or oxygen atmosphere. X-ray diffraction data indicate that tetragonal Al2O3 is indeed obtained. A simple device and electric circuit is proposed to measure the insulating properties of aluminum oxide and the transport properties of SnO2 as well. Results indicate a fair insulation when four layers or Al2O3 are grown on the tin dioxide film, concomitant with thermal annealing between each layer. The current magnitude through the insulating layer is only 0.2% of the current through the semiconductor film, even though the conductivity of the SnO2 alone is not very high (the average resistivity is 2 Ω cm), because no doping is used. The presented results are a good indication that this combination may be useful for transparent devices.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Wu YQ, Xuan Y, Shen T, Ye PD (2007) Appl Phys Lett 91:022108
Wu YQ, Ye PD, Wilk GD, Yang B (2006) Mater Sci Eng B 135:282
Lin HC, Ye PD, Wilk GD (2006) Solid State Electron 50:1012
Srikanth S, Karmalkar S (2008) IEEE Trans Electron Dev 55:3562
Xuan Y, Lin HC, Ye PD (2006) Appl Phys Lett 88:263518
Crupi I, Degraeve R, Govoreanu B, Brunco DP, Roussel P, Houdt JV (2007) Microeletron Reability 47:525
Bhowmick S, Alan K (2008) J Appl Phys 104:124308
Ogita Y, Kudoh T, Sakamoto F (2008) Thin Solid Films 516:832
Nasution IA, Velesco A, Kim H (2009) J Cryst Growth 311:429
Langereis E, Heil SBS, Knoops HCM, Keuning W, Van de Sanden MCM, Kessels WM (2009) J Phys D Appl Phys 42:073001
Kang HK (2005) Surf Coat Technol 190:448
Lide DR (2003) CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, 84th edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Hatch JE (ed) (1984) Aluminum properties and physical metallurgy. American Society for Metals, Novelty, OH
Yadav JB, Patil RB, Puri RK, Puri V (2007) Mater Sci Eng B 139:69
Wang H, Liang J, Fand H, Xi B, Zhang M, Xiong G, Zhu Y, Qian Y (2008) J Solid State Chem 181:122
Adamowics B, Izydorczyk W, Izydorczyk J, Klimasek A, Jakubik W, Zywicki J (2008) Vacuum 82:966
Kolmakov A, Zhang Y, Cheng G, Moskovits M (2003) Adv Mater 15:997
Goebbert C, Aegerter MA, Burgard D, Nass R, Schmidt H (1999) J Mater Chem 9:253
Terrier C, Chatelon JP, Roger JA (1997) Thin Solid Films 295:95
Morais EA, Ribeiro SJL, Scalvi LVA, Santilli CV, Ruggiero LO, Pulcinelli SH, Messaddeq Y (2002) J Alloys Compd 344:217
Morais EA, Scalvi LVA, Tabata A, De Oliveira JBB, Ribeiro SJL (2008) J Mater Sci 43:345. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-007-1610-1
Cuculescu E, Evtodiev I, Caraman M (2009) Thin Solid Films 517:2515
Pineiz TF, Scalvi LVA, Saeki MJ, Morais EA (2010) J Electron Mater 39:1170
Bagheri-Mohagheghi MM, Shokooh-Saremi M (2004) J Phys D Appl Phys 37:1248
Paglia G, Buckley CE, Andrew L, Rohl AL, Hart RD, Winter K, Studer AJ, Hunter BA, Hanna JV (2004) Chem Mater 16:220
Levin I, Gemming Th, Brandon DG (1998) Phys Status Solidi A 166:197
Cullity BD (1978) Elements of X-ray diffraction, 2nd edn. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, MA
Socrates G (2006) Infrared and Raman characteristic group frequencies: tables and charts, 3rd edn. Editora LTC, Rio de Janeiro
Shanthi E, Dutta V, Banerjee A, Chopra KL (1980) J Appl Phys 51:6243
Bhardwaj A, Gupta BK, Raza A, Agnihotri OP (1981) Solar Cells 5:39
Morais EA, Scalvi LVA (2007) J Eur Ceram Soc 27:3803
Samson S, Fonstad CG (1973) J Appl Phys 44:4618
Acknowledgements
Authors would like to thank Brazilian financial sources: CAPES, CNPq, and FAPESP.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Maciel, J.L.B., Floriano, E.A., Scalvi, L.V.A. et al. Growth of Al2O3 thin film by oxidation of resistively evaporated Al on top of SnO2, and electrical properties of the heterojunction SnO2/Al2O3. J Mater Sci 46, 6627–6632 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-011-5613-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-011-5613-6