Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a versatile technique for producing a wide variety of thin films. It provides a method for precisely controlling film thickness and composition. In addition films produced by ALD are highly conformal and are therefore excellent for the generation of MEMS devices. In the present study, single and multi layer films of TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ have been deposited on silicon substrates at 200 and 300°C. These films have been characterised by a number of surface analytical techniques including dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), ion beam analysis, electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. These methods have enabled the optical, chemical and structural properties of the films to be accurately assessed. The results obtained to date demonstrate that ALD produces highly uniform single and multi layer films with minimal impurities. These high quality films are being applied to new opportunities for the development of future MEMS devices.

Date Published: 2 April 2004
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 5276, Device and Process Technologies for MEMS, Microelectronics, and Photonics III, (2 April 2004); doi: 10.1117/12.524052

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5276:
Device and Process Technologies for MEMS, Microelectronics, and Photonics III
Jung-Chih Chiao; Alex J. Hariz; David N. Jamieson; Giacinta Parish; Vijay K. Varadan, Editor(s)