Ultrathin Oxide Films by Atomic Layer Deposition on Graphene

In this paper, a method is presented to create and characterize mechanically robust, free-standing, ultrathin, oxide films with controlled, nanometer-scale thickness using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on graphene. Aluminum oxide films were deposited onto suspended graphene membranes using ALD. Subsequent etching of the graphene left pure aluminum oxide films only a few atoms in thickness. A pressurized blister test was used to determine that these ultrathin films have a Young's modulus of 154 +/- 13 GPa. This Young's modulus is comparable to much thicker alumina ALD films. This behavior indicates that these ultrathin two-dimensional films have excellent mechanical integrity. The films are also impermeable to standard gases suggesting they are pinhole-free. These continuous ultrathin films are expected to enable new applications in fields such as thin film coatings, membranes, and flexible electronics.