Studies on optical and dielectric properties of Al2O3 thin films prepared by electron beam evaporation and spray pyrolysis method

Al2O3 thin films find a number of applications in optoelectronics, sensors and tribology. In this paper, we report the preparation and characterization of alumina films prepared by both electron beam evaporation and spray pyrolysis method. The electrical properties of alumina films were determined by measuring (C-V) and (I-V) characteristics in a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structure. A relative dielectric constant (epsilon(r)) of 9.6 for spray pyrolysed films and 8.3 for evaporated films was obtained. The breakdown electric field was found to be around 5 and 1 MV/cm, respectively for spray pyrolysed and evaporated films. The refractive index of alumina films by evaporation was found to be 1.71 and 1.61 at 275 and 500 nm, respectively. The optical band gap of spray pyrolysed films deposited at 300 degreesC was found to be in the range of 5.40-5.55 eV. Structural, elemental analysis and stoichiometry of the films was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and Rutherford back scattering (RBS) spectra. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.