Ultrathin Oxide Films
by Atomic Layer Deposition on
Graphene
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Abstract
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