Preliminary investigations of Reactively Evaporated Aluminum Oxide Films on Silicon

Abstract

Amorphous films of aluminum oxide have been vacuum deposited on silicon substrates by reactive evaporation through a highly localized partial pressure of water vapor. The properties of these films, such as density, dissolution rate, dielectric constant, and electrical breakdown, were determined as a function of deposition parameters. Values of the refractive index and of the infrared absorption of the layers are also reported. Aluminum‐aluminum oxide‐n‐type silicon structures were prepared in various deposition conditions and were characterized by either positive or negative values for flat band voltage. Preliminary investigations of the stability of the structures under thermal, electrical, and radiation stresses are reported. Typical memory behavior of the MIS structure is also reported, which is assumed to be a consequence of a transfer of charges from the semiconductor to trapping levels in the insulator.