Al2O3 on WSe2 by ozone based atomic layer deposition: Nucleation and interface study

In this work, the atomic layer deposition process using ozone and trimethylaluminum (TMA) for the deposition of Al2O3 films on WSe2 was investigated. It was found that the ozone-based atomic layer deposition enhanced the nucleation of Al2O3 in comparison to the water/TMA process. In addition, the chemistry at the Al2O3/WSe2 interface and the surface morphology of the Al2O3 films exhibited a dependence on the deposition temperature. A non-covalent functionalizing effect of ozone on WSe2 at low deposition temperatures 30 °C was identified which prevented the formation of pinholes in the Al2O3 films. These findings aim to provide an approach to obtain high-quality gate dielectrics on WSe2 for two-dimensional transistor applications.