Functionalized graphene as an ultrathin seed layer for the atomic layer deposition of conformal high-k dielectrics on graphene.

Ultrathin functionalized graphene (FG) is demonstrated to work as an effective seed layer for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of high-k dielectrics on graphene that is synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The FG layer is prepared using a low-density oxygen plasma treatment on CVD graphene and is characterized using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). While the ALD deposition on graphene results in a patchy and rough dielectric deposition, the abundant oxygen species provided by the FG seed layer enable conformal and pinhole-free dielectric film deposition over the entire area of the graphene channel. The metal-insulator-graphene (MIG) capacitors fabricated with the FG-seeded Al2O3 exhibit superior scaling capabilities with low leakage currents when compared with the co-processed capacitors with Al seed layers.