Engineering titanium and aluminum oxide composites using atomic layer deposition

Mixed metal oxides provide a convenient means to produce coatings with tailored physical properties. We investigate the possibility of synthesizing novel coatings of mixed titanium and aluminum oxide using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Results show that ALD films were prepared with compositions ranging between Al2O3 and TiO2 having refractive indices between 1.6 and 2.4 (at lambda = 550 nm) at low temperature. The microstructure and bonding environment within the films was investigated using electron microscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The films were amorphous, and the Ti and Al atoms were mixed at the atomic scale. The electrical breakdown characteristics of the films were measured and showed that films with intermediate compositions had poor leakage current properties, believed to be caused by the presence of distorted bonding configurations. This study shows that ALD can be used to deposit high quality thin films with tailored optical properties, particularly suitable for applications in which complex topographies are required. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3667134]