Deposition of HfO2, Gd2O3 and PrOx by Liquid Injection ALD Techniques

Role of a cyclopentadienyl ligand in a heteroleptic alkoxide precursor in atomic layer deposition

Alkoxide precursors have been highlighted for depositing carbon-free films, but their use in Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) often exhibits a non-saturated growth. This indicates no self-limiting growth due to the chain reaction of hydrolysis or ligand decomposition caused by β-hydride elimination. In the previous study, we demonstrated that self-limiting growth of ALD can be achieved using our newly developed precursor, hafnium cyclopentadienyl tris(N-ethoxy-2,2-dimethyl propanamido) [HfCp(edpa)3]. To elucidate the growth mechanism and the role of cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligand in a heteroleptic alkoxide precursor, herein, we compare homoleptic and heteroleptic Hf precursors consisting of N-ethoxy-2,2-dimethyl propanamido (edpa) ligands with and without cyclopentadienyl ligand-hafnium tetrakis(N-ethoxy-2,2-dimethyl propanamido) [Hf(edpa)4] and HfCp(edpa)3. We also investigate the role of a Cp ligand in growth characteristics. By substituting an alkoxide ligand with a Cp ligand, we could modify the surface reaction during ALD, preventing undesired reactions. The last remaining edpa after Hf(edpa)4 adsorption can undergo a hydride elimination reaction, resulting in surface O-H generation. In contrast, Cp remains after the HfCp(edpa)3 adsorption. Accordingly, we observe proper ALD growth with self-limiting properties. Thus, a comparative study of different ligands of the precursors can provide critical clues to the design of alkoxide precursors for obtaining typical ALD growth with a saturation behavior.

Rational Development of Guanidinate and Amidinate Based Cerium and Ytterbium Complexes as Atomic Layer Deposition Precursors: Synthesis, Modeling, and Application

Owing to the limited availability of suitable precursors for vapor phase deposition of rare-earth containing thin-film materials, new or improved precursors are sought after. In this study, we explored new precursors for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of cerium (Ce) and ytterbium (Yb) containing thin films. A series of homoleptic tris-guanidinate and tris-amidinate complexes of cerium (Ce) and ytterbium (Yb) were synthesized and thoroughly characterized. The C-substituents on the N-C-N backbone (Me, NMe2 , NEt2 , where Me=methyl, Et=ethyl) and the N-substituents from symmetrical iso-propyl (iPr) to asymmetrical tertiary-butyl (tBu) and Et were systematically varied to study the influence of the substituents on the physicochemical properties of the resulting compounds. Single crystal structures of [Ce(dpdmg)3 ] 1 and [Yb(dpdmg)3 ] 6 (dpdmg=N,N'-diisopropyl-2-dimethylamido-guanidinate) highlight a monomeric nature in the solid-state with a distorted trigonal prismatic geometry. The thermogravimetric analysis shows that the complexes are volatile and emphasize that increasing asymmetry in the complexes lowers their melting points while reducing their thermal stability. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to study the reactivity of amidinates and guanidinates of Ce and Yb complexes towards oxygen (O2 ) and water (H2 O). Signified by the DFT calculations, the guanidinates show an increased reactivity toward water compared to the amidinate complexes. Furthermore, the Ce complexes are more reactive compared to the Yb complexes, indicating even a reactivity towards oxygen potentially exploitable for ALD purposes. As a representative precursor, the highly reactive [Ce(dpdmg)3 ] 1 was used for proof-of-principle ALD depositions of CeO2 thin films using water as co-reactant. The self-limited ALD growth process could be confirmed at 160 °C with polycrystalline cubic CeO2 films formed on Si(100) substrates. This study confirms that moving towards nitrogen-coordinated rare-earth complexes bearing the guanidinate and amidinate ligands can indeed be very appealing in terms of new precursors for ALD of rare earth based materials.

PEALD of HfO2 Thin Films: Precursor Tuning and a New Near-Ambient-Pressure XPS Approach to in Situ Examination of Thin-Film Surfaces Exposed to Reactive Gases

A bottom-up approach starting with the development of new Hf precursors for plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) processes for HfO₂ followed by in situ thin-film surface characterization of HfO₂ upon exposure to reactive gases via near-ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) is reported. The stability of thin films under simulated operational conditions is assessed, and the successful implementation of HfO₂ dielectric layers in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors is demonstrated. Among the series of newly synthesized mono-guanidinato-tris-dialkyl-amido class of Hf precursors, one of them, namely, [Hf{η²-(ⁱPrN)₂CNEtMe}(NEtMe)₃], was representatively utilized with oxygen plasma, resulting in a highly promising low-temperature PEALD process at 60 °C. The new precursors were synthesized in the multigram scale and thoroughly characterized by thermogravimetric analyses, revealing high and tunable volatility reflected by appreciable vapor pressures and accompanied by thermal stability. Typical ALD growth characteristics in terms of linearity, saturation, and a broad ALD window with constant growth of 1.06 Å cycle^-1 in the temperature range of 60-240 °C render this process very promising for fabricating high-purity smooth HfO₂ layers. For the first time, NAP-XPS surface studies on selected HfO₂ layers are reported upon exposure to reactive H₂, O₂, and H₂O atmospheres at temperatures of up to 500 °C revealing remarkable stability against degradation. This can be attributed to the absence of surface defects and vacancies. On the basis of these promising results, PEALD-grown HfO₂ films were used as dielectric layers in the MIS capacitor device fabrication exhibiting leakage current densities less than 10^-7 A cm^-2 at 2 MV cm^-1 and permittivities of up to 13.9 without postannealing.

Atomic Layer Deposition of a Silver Nanolayer on Advanced Titanium Orthopedic Implants Inhibits Bacterial Colonization and Supports Vascularized de Novo Bone Ingrowth

Joint replacement surgery is associated with significant morbidity and mortality following infection with either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Staphylococcus epidermidis. These organisms have strong biofilm-forming capability in deep wounds and on prosthetic surfaces, with 10³ -10⁴ microbes resulting in clinically significant infections. To inhibit biofilm formation, we developed 3D titanium structures using selective laser melting and then coated them with a silver nanolayer using atomic layer deposition. On bare titanium scaffolds, S. epidermidis growth was slow but on silver-coated implants there were significant further reductions in both bacterial recovery (p < 0.0001) and biofilm formation (p < 0.001). MRSA growth was similarly slow on bare titanium scaffolds and not further affected by silver coating. Ultrastructural examination and viability assays using either human bone or endothelial cells, demonstrated strong adherence and growth on titanium-only or silver-coated implants. Histological, X-ray computed microtomographic, and ultrastructural analyses revealed that silver-coated titanium scaffolds implanted into 2.5 mm defects in rat tibia promoted robust vascularization and conspicuous bone ingrowth. We conclude that nanolayer silver of titanium implants significantly reduces pathogenic biofilm formation in vitro, facilitates vascularization and osseointegration in vivo making this a promising technique for clinical orthopedic applications.

Structural and optical properties of lanthanide oxides grown by atomic layer deposition (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb)

Ln2O3 thin films with optically active f-electrons (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb) have been grown on Si(100) and soda lime glass substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using Ln(thd)3 (Hthd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione) and ozone as precursors. The temperature range for depositions was 200-400 °C. Growth rates were measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry and a region with a constant growth rate (ALD window) was found for Ln = Ho and Tm. All the compounds are grown as amorphous films at low temperatures, whereas crystalline films (cubic C-Ln2O3) are obtained above a certain temperature ranging from 300 to 250 °C for Nd2O3 to Yb2O3, respectively. AFM studies show that the films were smooth (rms < 1 nm) except for depositions at the highest temperatures. The refractive index was measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry and was found to depend on the deposition temperature. Optical absorption measurements show that the absorption from the f-f transitions depends strongly on the crystallinity of the material. The clear correlation between the degree of crystallinity, optical absorptions and refractive indices is discussed.

Dielectric Relaxation of La-Doped Zirconia Caused by Annealing Ambient

La-doped zirconia films, deposited by ALD at 300°C, were found to be amorphous with dielectric constants (k-values) up to 19. A tetragonal or cubic phase was induced by post-deposition annealing (PDA) at 900°C in both nitrogen and air. Higher k-values (~32) were measured following PDA in air, but not after PDA in nitrogen. However, a significant dielectric relaxation was observed in the air-annealed film, and this is attributed to the formation of nano-crystallites. The relaxation behavior was modeled using the Curie-von Schweidler (CS) and Havriliak-Negami (HN) relationships. The k-value of the as-deposited films clearly shows a mixed CS and HN dependence on frequency. The CS dependence vanished after annealing in air, while the HN dependence disappeared after annealing in nitrogen.

Ce(IV) complexes with donor-functionalized alkoxide ligands: improved precursors for chemical vapor deposition of CeO2

Thin films of ceria (CeO(2)) have many applications, and their synthesis by liquid-injection MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) or ALD (atomic layer deposition) requires volatile precursor compounds. Here we report the synthesis of a series of homoleptic and heteroleptic Ce(IV) complexes with donor-functionalized alkoxide ligands mmp (1-methoxy-2-methylpropan-2-olate), dmap (1-(dimethylamino)propan-2-olate), and dmop (2-(4,4-dimethyl-4,5-dihydrooxazol-2-yl)propan-2-olate) and their potential as precursors for MOCVD and ALD of CeO(2). New complexes were synthesized by alcohol exchange reactions with [Ce(OBu(t))(4)]. [Ce(mmp)(4)] and [Ce(dmap)(4)] were both found to be excellent precursors for liquid-injection MOCVD of CeO(2), depositing high purity thin films with very low carbon contamination, and both have a large temperature window for diffusion controlled growth (350-600 °C for [Ce(mmp)(4)]; 300-600 °C for [Ce(dmap)(4)]). [Ce(mmp)(4)] is also an excellent precursor for liquid-injection ALD of CeO(2) using H(2)O as oxygen source and demonstrates self-limiting growth from 150 to 350 °C. [Ce(dmap)(4)] has lower thermal stability than [Ce(mmp)(4)] and does not show self-limiting growth in ALD. Heteroleptic complexes show a tendency to undergo ligand redistribution reactions to form mixtures in solution and are unsuitable as precursors for liquid-injection CVD.

Liquid injection atomic layer deposition of silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles are being developed for applications in plasmonics, catalysts and analytical methods, amongst others. Herein, we demonstrate the growth of silver nanoparticles using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for the first time. The silver was deposited from pulses of the organometallic precursor (hfac)Ag(1,5-COD) ((hexafluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I)(1,5-cyclooctadiene)) dissolved in a 0.1 M toluene solution. Catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of the silver was achieved using intermittent pulses of propanol. The effect of substrate temperature on the size and distribution of nanoparticles has been investigated over the temperature range 110-150 degrees C. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the nanoparticles consist of face centred cubic, facetted silver crystallites. The localized surface plasmon modes of the nanoparticles have been investigated using electron energy loss spectroscopy mapping. The distributions of plasmons within the ALD nanoparticles are comparable to those grown by solution methods. Both dipolar and quadrupolar resonant modes are observed, which is consistent with previous discrete dipole approximation models. Energy loss mapping of a loss feature at 8.1 eV reveals that it correlates with the bulk or volume region of the silver nanoparticles investigated here.

The optical properties of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires deposited using a dimethylzinc adduct

The optical properties of zinc oxide nanowires are critically influenced by the growth process. Herein, we describe a metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) process for the growth of ZnO nanowires with improved optical properties. A tetrahydrofuran adduct is used to control the reactivity of dimethylzinc to enable this. Vertically aligned zinc oxide nanowires have been grown on Si(111) substrates by liquid injection MOCVD, using a solution of [Me(2)Zn(tetrahydrofuran)] in the presence of oxygen. The ZnO morphology becomes nanowire-like in a narrow temperature range centred about 500 degrees C. Above and below this temperature range, the ZnO is deposited in the form of polycrystalline films. The ZnO nanowires grow from a polycrystalline nucleation layer, with the (0002) c-axis parallel to the Si[111] substrate orientation. High-resolution electron microscopy reveals a highly crystalline nanowire microstructure. Resonance enhanced ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy shows that the ratio of first- and second-order longitudinal optic modes is commensurate with electron-phonon coupling effects observed previously in ZnO nanostructures. Photoluminescence exhibits intense near band-edge emission with a full width at half-maximum of 110 meV at room temperature and shows negligible defect-related visible emission.

Precursors for MOCVD and ALD of Rare Earth Oxides−Complexes of the Early Lanthanides with a Donor-Functionalized Alkoxide Ligand

Complexes of the early lanthanides with the donor-functionalized alkoxide ligand mmp (Hmmp = HOCMe(2)CH(2)OMe, 1-methoxy-2-methylpropan-2-ol) are excellent precursors for Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of lanthanide oxides; however, their coordination chemistry, which is the subject of this paper, is rather complex. Precursors for MOCVD and ALD of lanthanide oxides are prepared by the reaction of [Ln{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(3)] with 3 equiv of the alcohol Hmmp in toluene in the presence of 1 equiv of tetraglyme and are indefinitely stable in solution. Reaction of [Ln{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(3)] with 3 equiv of Hmmp in the absence of stabilizing Lewis bases gives complex condensed products with empirical formula [{Ln(mmp)(3-n)}(2)O(n)]. These condensed products show poor volatility and are unsatisfactory precursors for MOCVD or ALD of oxides. The cluster complex [La(3)(mu(3),kappa(2)-mmp)(2)(mu(2),kappa(2)-mmp)(3)(mmp)(4)] has been prepared by careful reaction of [La{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(3)] with 4 equiv of Hmmp and has been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Salt metathesis reactions using M(mmp) (M = Li or Na) are unreliable routes to [Ln(mmp)(3)]. Crystals of the heterometallic cluster complex [NaLa(3)(mu(3)-OH)(mu(3),kappa(2)-mmp)(2)(mu(2),kappa(2)-mmp)(4)(mmp)(3)] were isolated from the reaction of [La(NO(3))(3)(tetraglyme)] with 3 equiv of Na(mmp), and crystals of [Li(kappa(2)-Hmmp)Pr(mu(2),eta(2)-mmp)(4))LiCl] were isolated from the reaction of PrCl(3) with 3 equiv of Li(mmp); both of these complexes have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Guanidinate-Stabilized Monomeric Hafnium Amide Complexes as Promising Precursors for MOCVD of HfO2

Novel guanidinato complexes of hafnium [Hf{eta2-(iPrN)2CNR2}2(NR2)2] (R2 = Et2, 1; Et, Me, 2; Me2, 3), synthesized by insertion reactions of N,N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide into the M-N bonds of homologous hafnium amide complexes 1-3 and {[mu2-NC(NMe2)2][NC(NMe2)2]2HfCl}2 (4) using a salt metathesis reaction, are reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that compounds 1-3 were monomers, while compound 4 was found to be a dimer. The observed fluxional behavior of compounds 1-3 was studied in detail using variable-temperature and two-dimensional NMR techniques. The thermal characteristics of compounds 1-3 seem promising for HfO2 thin films by vapor deposition techniques. Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition experiments with compound 2 as the precursor resulted in smooth, uniform, and stoichiometric HfO2 thin films at relatively low deposition temperatures. The basic properties of HfO2 thin films were characterized in some detail.