High Dielectric Performance of Solution-Processed Aluminum Oxide-Boron Nitride Composite Films

Abstract

The material compositions of oxide films have been extensively investigated in an effort to improve the electrical characteristics of dielectrics which have been utilized in various electronic devices such as field-effect transistors, and storage capacitors. Significantly, solution-based compositions have attracted considerable attention as a highly effective and practical technique to replace vacuum-based process in large-area. Here, we demonstrate solution-processed composite films consisting of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) and boron nitride (BN), which exhibit remarkable dielectric properties through the optimization process. The leakage current of the optimized Al₂O₃–BN thin films was decreased by a factor of 100 at 3V, compared to pristine Al₂O₃ thin film without a loss of the dielectric constant or degradation of the morphological roughness. The characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed that the incorporation of BN with an optimized concentration into the Al₂O₃ dielectric film reduced the density of oxygen vacancies which act as defect states, thereby improving the dielectric characteristics.