Media type: E-Article Title: Interfacial studies of Al2O3 deposited on 4H‐SiC(0001) Contributor: Diplas, Spyros; Avice, Marc; Thøgersen, Annett; Christensen, Jens S.; Grossner, Ulrike; Svensson, Bengt G.; Nilsen, Ola; Fjellvåg, Helmer; Hinder, Steve; Watts, John F. imprint: Wiley, 2008 Published in: Surface and Interface Analysis Language: English DOI: 10.1002/sia.2787 ISSN: 0142-2421; 1096-9918 Keywords: Materials Chemistry ; Surfaces, Coatings and Films ; Surfaces and Interfaces ; Condensed Matter Physics ; General Chemistry Origination: Footnote: Description: <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Al<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>O<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> films deposited on 4H‐SiC(0001) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were characterized by XPS, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The effect of medium and high temperature (873, 1273 K) annealing on samples with oxide thicknesses of 5–8 and 100–120 nm was studied. XPS indicated the presence of a thin (∼1 nm) SiO<jats:sub><jats:italic>x</jats:italic></jats:sub> layer on the as‐grown samples which increased to ∼3 nm after annealing above crystallization temperature (1273 K) in Ar atmosphere. Upon annealing the stoichiometry of the interfacial oxide approaches that of SiO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>. HRTEM showed that the thickness of the interfacial oxide formed after annealing at 1273 K was not uniform. No significant increase in the thickness of the interfacial oxide, was observed after annealing at 873 K in a N<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (90%)/H<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> (10%) atmosphere. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</jats:p>