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Aerosol jet fog (ajFOG) deposition of aluminum oxide phosphate thin films from an aqueous fog

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Abstract

A new lab-based aerosol jet fog (ajFOG) deposition system with an atomizer consisting of two opposing jets located within the deposition chamber is introduced and its capabilities are examined. The unique opposing configuration of the atomizer enables the formation of a highly uniform fog even from low volatility precursors. Aluminum oxide phosphate (AlPO) thin films were deposited onto Si wafers at room temperature and sub-atmospheric pressure by using an aqueous precursor. Films were characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry, x-ray diffraction and reflectivity, scanning electron microscopy, and metal/oxide/semiconductor (MOS) capacitor electrical measurements. Film thickness uniformity, density, surface roughness, and charge transport mechanisms were found to be comparable to spin-coated thin films deposited using the same precursor, demonstrating the effectiveness of this aerosol technique. A process model was developed to predict film thickness as a function of precursor concentration, exposure time, fog settling time, and number of exposures.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This material is based upon work supported by the US National Science Foundation under grant number CHE-1102637. The work was done in the Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry, an NSF Phase-II Center for Chemical Innovation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331-5501, USA

    Nishit M. Murari & John F. Conley

  2. Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331-4003, USA

    Ryan H. Mansergh, Yu Huang & Douglas A. Keszler

  3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403-1253, USA

    Matthew G. Kast

Authors
  1. Nishit M. Murari
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  2. Ryan H. Mansergh
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  3. Yu Huang
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  4. Matthew G. Kast
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  5. Douglas A. Keszler
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  6. John F. Conley
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Correspondence to John F. Conley.

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Murari, N.M., Mansergh, R.H., Huang, Y. et al. Aerosol jet fog (ajFOG) deposition of aluminum oxide phosphate thin films from an aqueous fog. Journal of Materials Research 31, 3303–3312 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2016.341

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2016.341

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