Atomic Layer Deposition Growth and Characterization of Al[sub.2]O[sub.3] Layers on Cu-Supported CVD Graphene

• Published in: Coatings (Basel) 2024-06, Vol.14 (6)
• Main Authors: Rafailov, Peter, Mehandzhiev, Vladimir, Sveshtarov, Peter, Blagoev, Blagoy, Terziyska, Penka, Avramova, Ivalina, Kirilov, Kiril, Ranguelov, Bogdan, Avdeev, Georgi, Petrov, Stefan, Lin, Shiuan Huei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical vapor deposition; Graphene; Graphite
• ISSN: 2079-6412; 2079-6412
• DOI: 10.3390/coatings14060662

The deposition of thin uniform dielectric layers on graphene is important for its successful integration into electronic devices. We report on the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al[sub.2]O[sub.3] nanofilms onto graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition onto copper foil. A pretreatment with deionized water (DI H[sub.2]O) for graphene functionalization was carried out, and, subsequently, trimethylaluminum and DI H[sub.2]O were used as precursors for the Al[sub.2]O[sub.3] deposition process. The proper temperature regime for this process was adjusted by means of the ALD temperature window for Al[sub.2]O[sub.3] deposition onto a Si substrate. The obtained Al[sub.2]O[sub.3]/graphene heterostructures were characterized by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry and atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. Samples of these heterostructures were transferred onto glass substrates by standard methods, with the Al[sub.2]O[sub.3] coating serving as a protective layer during the transfer. Raman monitoring at every stage of the sample preparation and after the transfer enabled us to characterize the influence of the Al[sub.2]O[sub.3] coating on the graphene film.