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Zaera F. The surface chemistry of the atomic layer deposition of metal thin films. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 35:362001. [PMID: 38888294 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ad54cb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
In this perspective we discuss the progress made in the mechanistic studies of the surface chemistry associated with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of metal films and the usefulness of that knowledge for the optimization of existing film growth processes and for the design of new ones. Our focus is on the deposition of late transition metals. We start by introducing some of the main surface-sensitive techniques and approaches used in this research. We comment on the general nature of the metallorganic complexes used as precursors for these depositions, and the uniqueness that solid surfaces and the absence of liquid solvents bring to the ALD chemistry and differentiate it from what is known from metalorganic chemistry in solution. We then delve into the adsorption and thermal chemistry of those precursors, highlighting the complex and stepwise nature of the decomposition of the organic ligands that usually ensued upon their thermal activation. We discuss the criteria relevant for the selection of co-reactants to be used on the second half of the ALD cycle, with emphasis on the redox chemistry often associated with the growth of metallic films starting from complexes with metal cations. Additional considerations include the nature of the substrate and the final structural and chemical properties of the growing films, which we indicate rarely retain the homogeneous 2D structure often aimed for. We end with some general conclusions and personal thoughts about the future of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Zaera
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States of America
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Konh M, Lien C, Cai X, Wei SH, Janotti A, Zaera F, Teplyakov AV. ToF-SIMS Investigation of the Initial Stages of MeCpPt(CH 3) 3 Adsorption and Decomposition on Nickel Oxide Surfaces: Exploring the Role and Location of the Ligands. Organometallics 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.organomet.9b00781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Konh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Clinton Lien
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Xuefen Cai
- Material Science and Engineering Department, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Su-Huai Wei
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Anderson Janotti
- Material Science and Engineering Department, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Francisco Zaera
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Andrew V. Teplyakov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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Chen B, Qin X, Lien C, Bouman M, Konh M, Duan Y, Teplyakov AV, Zaera F. Thermal Chemistry of Metal Organic Compounds Adsorbed on Oxide Surfaces. Organometallics 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.organomet.9b00636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Xiangdong Qin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Clinton Lien
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Menno Bouman
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Mahsa Konh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Yichen Duan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Andrew V. Teplyakov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Francisco Zaera
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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Agonigi G, Ciancaleoni G, Funaioli T, Zacchini S, Pineider F, Pinzino C, Pampaloni G, Zanotti V, Marchetti F. Controlled Dissociation of Iron and Cyclopentadienyl from a Diiron Complex with a Bridging C3 Ligand Triggered by One-Electron Reduction. Inorg Chem 2018; 57:15172-15186. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b02445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Agonigi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Ciancaleoni
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tiziana Funaioli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Zacchini
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, I-40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Pineider
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Calogero Pinzino
- Area della Ricerca, ICCOM-CNR, Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Guido Pampaloni
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Valerio Zanotti
- Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale “Toso Montanari”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, I-40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Marchetti
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
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Lien C, Konh M, Chen B, Teplyakov AV, Zaera F. Gas-Phase Electron-Impact Activation of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Precursors: MeCpPtMe 3. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:4602-4606. [PMID: 30067025 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b02125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The use of gas-phase electron-impact activation of metalorganic complexes to facilitate atomic layer depositions (ALD) was tested for the case of (methylcyclopentadienyl)Pt(IV) trimethyl (MeCpPtMe3) on silicon oxide films. Uptake enhancements of more than 1 order of magnitude were calculated from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data. On the basis of the measured C:Pt ratios, the surface species were estimated to mainly consist of MeCpPt moieties, likely because of the prevalent formation of [MeCpPtMe x- nH]+ ions after gas-phase ionization (as determined by mass spectrometry). Counterintuitively, more extensive adsorption was observed on thick SiO2 films than on the native thin SiO2 film that forms on Si(100) wafers, despite the former having virtually no surface OH groups. The adsorption of MeCpPt fragments on silicon oxide surfaces was determined by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to be highly exothermic and to favor attachment to Si-O-Si bridge sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton Lien
- Department of Chemistry , University of California , Riverside , California 02521 , United States
| | - Mahsa Konh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Delaware , Newark , Delaware 19716 , United States
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of Chemistry , University of California , Riverside , California 02521 , United States
| | - Andrew V Teplyakov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Delaware , Newark , Delaware 19716 , United States
| | - Francisco Zaera
- Department of Chemistry , University of California , Riverside , California 02521 , United States
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Barry ST, Teplyakov AV, Zaera F. The Chemistry of Inorganic Precursors during the Chemical Deposition of Films on Solid Surfaces. Acc Chem Res 2018; 51:800-809. [PMID: 29489341 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The deposition of thin solid films is central to many industrial applications, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods are particularly useful for this task. For one, the isotropic nature of the adsorption of chemical species affords even coverages on surfaces with rough topographies, an increasingly common requirement in microelectronics. Furthermore, by splitting the overall film-depositing reactions into two or more complementary and self-limiting steps, as it is done in atomic layer depositions (ALD), film thicknesses can be controlled down to the sub-monolayer level. Thanks to the availability of a vast array of inorganic and metalorganic precursors, CVD and ALD are quite versatile and can be engineered to deposit virtually any type of solid material. On the negative side, the surface chemistry that takes place in these processes is often complex, and can include undesirable side reactions leading to the incorporation of impurities in the growing films. Appropriate precursors and deposition conditions need to be chosen to minimize these problems, and that requires a proper understanding of the underlying surface chemistry. The precursors for CVD and ALD are often designed and chosen based on their known thermal chemistry from inorganic chemistry studies, taking advantage of the vast knowledge developed in that field over the years. Although a good first approximation, however, this approach can lead to wrong choices, because the reactions of these precursors at gas-solid interfaces can be quite different from what is seen in solution. For one, solvents often aid in the displacement of ligands in metalorganic compounds, providing the right dielectric environment, temporarily coordinating to the metal, or facilitating multiple ligand-complex interactions to increase reaction probabilities; these options are not available in the gas-solid reactions associated with CVD and ALD. Moreover, solid surfaces act as unique "ligands", if these reactions are to be viewed from the point of view of the metalorganic complexes used as precursors: they are bulky and rigid, can provide multiple binding sites for a single reaction, and can promote unique bonding modes, especially on metals, which have delocalized electronic structures. The differences between the molecular and surface chemistry of CVD and ALD precursors can result in significant variations in their reactivity, ultimately leading to unpredictable properties in the newly grown films. In this Account, we discuss some of the main similarities and differences in chemistry that CVD/ALD precursors follow on surfaces when contrasted against their known behavior in solution, with emphasis on our own work but also referencing other key contributions. Our approach is unique in that it combines expertise from the inorganic, surface science, and quantum-mechanics fields to better understand the mechanistic details of the chemistry of CVD and ALD processes and to identify new criteria to consider when designing CVD/ALD precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seán T. Barry
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Andrew V. Teplyakov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Francisco Zaera
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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Sirohiwal A, Hathwar VR, Dey D, Chopra D. Investigation of Chemical Bonding in In Situ Cryocrystallized Organometallic Liquids. Chemphyschem 2017; 18:2859-2863. [DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201700585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Sirohiwal
- Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry Laboratory; Department of Chemistry; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal; Bhopal- 462066 Madhya Pradesh India
- Current address: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion; Stiftstrasse 34-36 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr Germany
| | - Venkatesha R. Hathwar
- Division of Physics; Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences; University of Tsukuba; 1-1-1, Tennodai Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8571 Japan
| | - Dhananjay Dey
- Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry Laboratory; Department of Chemistry; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal; Bhopal- 462066 Madhya Pradesh India
| | - Deepak Chopra
- Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry Laboratory; Department of Chemistry; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal; Bhopal- 462066 Madhya Pradesh India
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Mackus AJM, MacIsaac C, Kim WH, Bent SF. Incomplete elimination of precursor ligands during atomic layer deposition of zinc-oxide, tin-oxide, and zinc-tin-oxide. J Chem Phys 2017; 146:052802. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4961459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adriaan J. M. Mackus
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Callisto MacIsaac
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Woo-Hee Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Stacey F. Bent
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Cluff KJ, Blümel J. Adsorption of Metallocenes on Silica. Chemistry 2016; 22:16562-16575. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201603700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. Cluff
- Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University P.O. Box 30012 College Station TX 77842-3012 USA
| | - Janet Blümel
- Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University P.O. Box 30012 College Station TX 77842-3012 USA
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