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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

The Effect of Anodization Parameters on the Aluminum Oxide Dielectric Layer of Thin-Film Transistors
Published on: May 24, 2020
Atomic-Scale Insights into the Oxidation of Aluminum
Lan Nguyen1, Teruo Hashimoto1, Dmitri N Zakharov2
1School of Materials, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The surface oxidation of aluminum is still poorly understood despite its vital role as an insulator in electronics, in aluminum-air batteries, and in protecting the metal against corrosion. Here we use atomic resolution imaging in an environmental transmission electron microscope (TEM) to investigate the mechanism of aluminum oxide formation. Harnessing electron beam sputtering we prepare a pristine, oxide-free metal surface in the TEM. This allows us to study, as a function of crystallographic orientation and oxygen gas pressure, the full oxide growth regime from the first oxide nucleation to a complete saturated, few-nanometers-thick surface film.
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