Unraveling the Highly Plastic Behavior of ALD‐Aluminum Oxide Encapsulations by Small‐Scale Tensile Testing

Abstract

We present a study directly measuring the electron‐beam‐induced plasticity of amorphous Al2O3 coatings. Core–shell nanostructures are employed as small‐scale model systems for two‐dimensional coatings made by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Copper nanowires (NWs) are used as substrates for ALD deposition, representing a model system for interconnects commonly found in integrated circuits. Experiments are performed in situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and further analyzed with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Our in situ TEM tensile experiments reveal the highly plastic behavior of the ALD shell, which withstands a maximum strain of 188%. Comparable samples under beam‐off conditions show a brittle fracture, which underlines the effect of electron irradiation. The electron‐beam‐activated bond switching within the amorphous network enables compensation of the applied tensile strain, leading to viscous flow. By incorporating an intermediate nanocrystalline layer within the Al2O3 shell, the plasticity is suppressed and brittle fracture occurs. This work directly demonstrates the tuning of mechanical properties in amorphous ALD structures through electron irradiation.