Mixing ALD/MLD-grown ZnO and Zn-4-aminophenol layers into various thin-film structures

Modelling the growth reaction pathways of zincone ALD/MLD hybrid thin films: a DFT study

ALD/MLD hybrid thin films can be fabricated by combining atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD). Even though this deposition method has been extensively used experimentally, the computational work required to acquire the reaction paths during the thin film deposition process is still in dire demand. We investigated hybrid thin films consisting of diethyl zinc and either 4-aminophenol or hydroquinone using both gas-phase and surface reactions to gain extensive knowledge of the complex phenomena occurring during the process of hybrid thin film deposition. We used density functional theory (DFT) to obtain the activation energies of these kinetic-dependent deposition processes. Different processes of ethyl ligand removal as ethane were discovered, and we found that the hydroxyl group of 4-aminophenol was more reactive than the amino group in the migration of hydrogen to an ethyl ligand within a complicated branching reaction chain.

Low-temperature remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of ZrO2/zircone nanolaminate film for efficient encapsulation of flexible organic light-emitting diodes

Encapsulation is essential to protect the air-sensitive components of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) such as active layers and cathode electrodes. In this study, hybrid zirconium inorganic/organic nanolaminates were fabricated using remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) and molecular layer deposition at a low temperature. The nanolaminate serves as a thin-film encapsulation layer for OLEDs. The reaction mechanism of PEALD process was investigated using an in-situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and in-situ quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS). The bonds present in the films were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The primary reaction byproducts in PEALD, such as CO, CO₂, NO, H₂O, as well as the related fragments during the O₂ plasma process were characterized using the QMS, indicating a combustion-like reaction process. The self-limiting nature and growth mechanisms of the ZrO₂ during the complex surface chemical reaction of the ligand and O₂ plasma were monitored using the QCM. The remote PEALD ZrO₂/zircone nanolaminate structure prolonged the transmission path of water vapor and smooth surface morphology. Consequently, the water barrier properties were significantly improved (reaching 3.078 × 10⁻⁵ g/m²/day). This study also shows that flexible OLEDs can be successfully encapsulated to achieve a significantly longer lifetime.

Tunable optical properties of hybrid inorganic-organic [(TiO2)m(Ti-O-C6H4-O-)k]n superlattice thin films

A combined atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) process was developed to fabricate inorganic-organic [(TiO2)m(Ti-O-C6H4-O-)k]n thin films from TiCl4, water and hydroquinone (HQ) precursors, and in particular, superlattice structures where single-molecular organic layers (k = 1) are periodically sandwiched between thicker TiO2 layers (m > 1). The incorporation of organic layers was found to systematically blue-shift the optical band gap of TiO2 with decreasing superlattice period and--most importantly--to sensitize the TiO2 layers to visible light over a considerable part of the visible range below 700 nm, a fact that could be of substantial interest for photocatalysis and solar cell applications.

Iron-based inorganic–organic hybrid and superlattice thin films by ALD/MLD

Here we present novel layer-by-layer deposition processes for the fabrication of inorganic–organic hybrid thin films of the (–Fe–O–C₆H₄–O–)_n type and also superlattices where N thicker iron oxide layer blocks alternate with monomolecular-thin organic layers.

Organic and inorganic-organic thin film structures by molecular layer deposition: A review

The possibility to deposit purely organic and hybrid inorganic-organic materials in a way parallel to the state-of-the-art gas-phase deposition method of inorganic thin films, i.e., atomic layer deposition (ALD), is currently experiencing a strongly growing interest. Like ALD in case of the inorganics, the emerging molecular layer deposition (MLD) technique for organic constituents can be employed to fabricate high-quality thin films and coatings with thickness and composition control on the molecular scale, even on complex three-dimensional structures. Moreover, by combining the two techniques, ALD and MLD, fundamentally new types of inorganic-organic hybrid materials can be produced. In this review article, we first describe the basic concepts regarding the MLD and ALD/MLD processes, followed by a comprehensive review of the various precursors and precursor pairs so far employed in these processes. Finally, we discuss the first proof-of-concept experiments in which the newly developed MLD and ALD/MLD processes are exploited to fabricate novel multilayer and nanostructure architectures by combining different inorganic, organic and hybrid material layers into on-demand designed mixtures, superlattices and nanolaminates, and employing new innovative nanotemplates or post-deposition treatments to, e.g., selectively decompose parts of the structure. Such layer-engineered and/or nanostructured hybrid materials with exciting combinations of functional properties hold great promise for high-end technological applications.