Aluminum dimethylisopropoxide decomposition and the growth of dense alumina thin films at low temperature

By using aluminum dimethylisopropoxide as the precursor, varying the reaction conditions (such as temperature and total pressure) and, most important, by using water vapour as the reacting gas, we obtained high density, transparent aluminum oxide films with extremely smooth surface texture, at growth temperatures as low as 180°C, and a growth rate of up to about 150 nm min–1. A reaction mechanism has been proposed for the precursor decomposition, stressing the important role of water vapour in the decomposition process.