Influence of radiation expoure on the properties of dielectric layers based on anodic aluminum oxide

Abstract

Anodic aluminum oxide films are widely used in various fields such as biomedical, nanophotonics, microelectromechanical systems and aerospace industry. In space, electronic equipment is exposed to various types of radiation including electrons, protons, neutrons and heavy ions. Devices with a high degree of integration can be sensitive to natural radiation even at the surface of the Earth. Radiation can affect electronic equipment, degrading performance and resulting in loss of data. Degradation of characteristics occurs due to the formation of electron-hole pairs in the gate and insulating dielectrics. Anodic aluminum oxide film shows good resistance to radiation because captures a significant number of electrons, which compensate for hole traps. In addition, Al 2 O 3 has several levels of traps in the band gap, which facilitates easy tunneling of electrons from the dielectric to the substrate [1]. Exposure by medium energy hydrogen and helium ions can lead to delamination of the anodic alumina film. Oxide delamination is caused by residual stresses resulting from oxide growth and irregularities in the substrate [2].The effect of radiation exposure on thin-film structures depends not only on the chemical composition of the films, but also on mechanical stresses at the interfaces. In order to increase the radiation resistance of thin-film structures based on Al 2 O 3 , it is necessary to improve the technology of forming the interface between layers.