Preparation of Al₂O₃ and AlN Nanotubes by Atomic Layer Deposition

Abstract

Al 2 O 3 and AlN nanotubes were fabricated by depositing conformal thin films via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on electrospun nylon 66 (PA66) nanofiber templates. Depositions were carried out at 200°C, using trimethylaluminum (TMAl), water (H 2 O), and ammonia (NH 3 ) as the aluminum, oxygen, and nitrogen precursors, respectively. Deposition rates of Al 2 O 3 and AlN at this temperature were ~1.05 and 0.86 Å/cycle. After the depositions, Al 2 O 3 -and AlN-coated nanofibers were calcinated at 500°C for 2 h in order to remove organic components. Nanotubes were characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). AlN nanotubes were polycrystalline as determined by high resolution TEM (HR-TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). TEM images of all the samples reported in this study indicated uniform wall thicknesses.