Electrical Properties of Native and Deposited Thin Aluminum Oxide Layers on Aluminum: Hydration Effects

摘要

The electronic defect density of native, anodic, and synthetic Al oxide layers on Al were studied by solid state electrical measurement as a function of hydration OF the oxide. The non-hydrated synthetic Al oxide layers, which included electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma deposited oxides as well as ECR plasma grown oxides, were highly insulating with electrical transport dominated by thermal emission from deep traps within the oxide. Following hydration these oxides and the native oxides exhibited a large increase in electronic defect density as evidenced by increases in the DC leakage current, reduction in the breakdown field, and increase in AC conductance. Elastic recoil detection of hydrogen revealed that hydration leads to hydrogen incorporation in the oxide films and hydrogen injection through the films into the Al layer below. The increase in electronic defect concentration is related to this hydrogenation and may play a significant role in localized corrosion initiation.