scholarly journals Crystalline AlN Interfacial Layer on GaN Using Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 405
Author(s):  
Il-Hwan Hwang ◽  
Myoung-Jin Kang ◽  
Ho-Young Cha ◽  
Kwang-Seok Seo

In this study, we report on the deposition of a highly crystalline AlN interfacial layer on GaN at 330 °C via plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). Trimethylaluminum (TMA) and NH3 plasma were used as the Al and N precursors, respectively. The crystallinity and mass density of AlN were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) measurements, respectively, and the chemical bonding states and atomic concentrations of the AlN were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The AlN/n-GaN interface characteristics were analyzed using TOF-SIMS and STEM, and the electrical characteristics of the AlN were evaluated using metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors. The PEALD process exhibited high linearity between the AlN thickness and the number of cycles without any incubation period, as well as a low carbon impurity of less than 1% and high crystal quality even at a low deposition temperature of 330 °C. Moreover, the GaN surface oxidation was successfully suppressed by the AlN interfacial layer. Furthermore, enhanced electrical characteristics were achieved by the MIS capacitor with AlN compared to those achieved without AlN.

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 5043
Author(s):  
Chia-Hsun Hsu ◽  
Xin-Peng Geng ◽  
Wan-Yu Wu ◽  
Ming-Jie Zhao ◽  
Xiao-Ying Zhang ◽  
...  

In this study, aluminum-doped zinc oxide (Al:ZnO) thin films were grown by high-speed atmospheric atomic layer deposition (AALD), and the effects of air annealing on film properties are investigated. The experimental results show that the thermal annealing can significantly reduce the amount of oxygen vacancies defects as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra due to the in-diffusion of oxygen from air to the films. As shown by X-ray diffraction, the annealing repairs the crystalline structure and releases the stress. The absorption coefficient of the films increases with the annealing temperature due to the increased density. The annealing temperature reaching 600 °C leads to relatively significant changes in grain size and band gap. From the results of band gap and Hall-effect measurements, the annealing temperature lower than 600 °C reduces the oxygen vacancies defects acting as shallow donors, while it is suspected that the annealing temperature higher than 600 °C can further remove the oxygen defects introduced mid-gap states.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mykola Pavlenko ◽  
Valerii Myndrul ◽  
Gloria Gottardi ◽  
Emerson Coy ◽  
Mariusz Jancelewicz ◽  
...  

In the current research, a porous silicon/zinc oxide (PSi/ZnO) nanocomposite produced by a combination of metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods is presented. The applicability of the composite for biophotonics (optical biosensing) was investigated. To characterize the structural and optical properties of the produced PSi/ZnO nanocomposites, several studies were performed: scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance, and photoluminescence (PL). It was found that the ALD ZnO layer fully covers the PSi, and it possesses a polycrystalline wurtzite structure. The effect of the number of ALD cycles and the type of Si doping on the optical properties of nanocomposites was determined. PL measurements showed a “shoulder-shape” emission in the visible range. The mechanisms of the observed PL were discussed. It was demonstrated that the improved PL performance of the PSi/ZnO nanocomposites could be used for implementation in optical biosensor applications. Furthermore, the produced PSi/ZnO nanocomposite was tested for optical/PL biosensing towards mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1) detection, confirming the applicability of the nanocomposites.


2018 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 232-237
Author(s):  
Adam Hinckley ◽  
Anthony Muscat

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to grow titanium nitride (TiN) on SiO2with TiCl4and N2H4. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ellipsometry were used to characterize film growth. A hydrogen-terminated Si (Si-H) surface was used as a reference to understand the reaction steps on SPM cleaned SiO2. The growth rate of TiN at 573 K doubled on Si-H compared to SiO2because of the formation of Si-N bonds. When the temperature was raised to 623 K, O transferred from Ti to Si to form Si-N when exposed to N2H4. Oxygen and Ti could be removed at 623 K by TiCl4producing volatile species. The added surface reactions reduce the Cl in the film below detection limits.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riikka Puurunen ◽  
Pauline Voigt ◽  
Eero Haimi ◽  
Jouko Lahtinen ◽  
You Wayne Cheah ◽  
...  

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is gaining attention as a catalyst preparation method able to produce metal (oxide, sulphide, etc.) nanoparticles of uniform size down to single atoms. This work reports our initial experiments to support nickel on mesoporous zirconia. Nickel (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)2 [Ni(thd)2] was reacted in a fixed-bed ALD reactor with zirconia, characterised with BET surface area of 72 m2/g and mean pore size of 14 nm. According to X-ray fluorescence measurements, the average nickel loading on the top part of the support bed was on the order of 1 wt-%, corresponding to circa one nickel atom per square nanometre. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy confirmed that in the top part of the fixed support bed, nickel was distributed throughout the zirconia particles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated the nickel oxidation state to be two. Organic thd ligands remained complete on the surface after the Ni(thd)2 reaction with zirconia, as followed with diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. The ligands could be fully removed by oxidation at 400 °C. These initial results indicate that nickel catalysts on zirconia can likely be made by ALD. Before catalytic testing, in addition to increasing the nickel loading by repeated ALD cycles, optimization of the process parameters is required to ensure uniform distribution of nickel throughout the support bed and within the zirconia particles.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Gorey ◽  
Yang Dai ◽  
Scott Anderson ◽  
Sungsik Lee ◽  
Sungwon Lee ◽  
...  

In heterogeneous catalysis, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been developed as a tool to stabilize and reduce carbon deposition on supported nanoparticles. Here, we discuss use of high vacuum ALD to deposit alumina films on size-selected, sub-nanometer Pt/SiO2 model catalysts. Mass-selected Pt24 clusters were deposited on oxidized Si(100), to form model Pt24/SiO2 catalysts with particles shown to be just under 1 nm, with multilayer three dimensional structure. Alternating exposures to trimethylaluminum and water vapor in an ultra-high vacuum chamber were used to grow alumina on the samples without exposing them to air. The samples were probed in situ using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS), and CO temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Additional samples were prepared for ex situ experiments using grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering spectroscopy (GISAXS). Alumina growth is found to initiate at least 60 times more efficiently at the Pt24 cluster sites, compared to bare SiO2/Si, with a single ALD cycle depositing a full alumina layer on top of the clusters, with substantial additional alumina growth initiating on SiO2 sites surrounding the clusters. As a result, the clusters were completely passivated, with no exposed Pt binding sites.


2022 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 013905
Author(s):  
E. Kokkonen ◽  
M. Kaipio ◽  
H.-E. Nieminen ◽  
F. Rehman ◽  
V. Miikkulainen ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1443-1451
Author(s):  
Ivan Kundrata ◽  
Karol Fröhlich ◽  
Lubomír Vančo ◽  
Matej Mičušík ◽  
Julien Bachmann

Lithiated thin films are necessary for the fabrication of novel solid-state batteries, including the electrodes and solid electrolytes. Physical vapour deposition and chemical vapour deposition can be used to deposit lithiated films. However, the issue of conformality on non-planar substrates with large surface area makes them impractical for nanobatteries the capacity of which scales with surface area. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) avoids these issues and is able to deposit conformal films on 3D substrates. However, ALD is limited in the range of chemical reactions, due to the required volatility of the precursors. Moreover, relatively high temperatures are necessary (above 100 °C), which can be detrimental to electrode layers and substrates, for example to silicon into which the lithium can easily diffuse. In addition, several highly reactive precursors, such as Grignard reagents or n-butyllithium (BuLi) are only usable in solution. In theory, it is possible to use BuLi and water in solution to produce thin films of LiH. This theoretical reaction is self-saturating and, therefore, follows the principles of solution atomic layer deposition (sALD). Therefore, in this work the sALD technique and principles have been employed to experimentally prove the possibility of LiH deposition. The formation of homogeneous air-sensitive thin films, characterized by using ellipsometry, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), in situ quartz crystal microbalance, and scanning electron microscopy, was observed. Lithium hydride diffraction peaks have been observed in as-deposited films by GIXRD. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger spectroscopy analysis show the chemical identity of the decomposing air-sensitive films. Despite the air sensitivity of BuLi and LiH, making many standard measurements difficult, this work establishes the use of sALD to deposit LiH, a material inaccessible to conventional ALD, from precursors and at temperatures not suitable for conventional ALD.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Blakeney ◽  
Philip Martin ◽  
Charles Winter

Treatment of the stable N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) 1,3-di-<i>tert</i>-butylimidazolin-2-ylidene with two equivalents of AlH<sub>3</sub>(NMe<sub>3</sub>) afforded the structurally unusual ring expanded dialane complex <b>1</b> in 72% yield after sublimation. Complex <b>1</b> has a distorted norbornane-like C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>2</sub>Al<sub>2</sub> core with two pseudo-tetrahedral Al dihydride sites. Treatment of <b>1</b> with Cp<sub>2</sub>TiCl<sub>2</sub> as a model for metal thin film precursors produced the hydride-bridged Ti(III)-Al heterobimetallic complex <b>2</b> in 45% crystalline yield. Complex <b>1</b> shows good volatility and thermal stability, subliming at 90-100 °C and 50 mTorr and decomposing in the solid state at ~200 °C. The vapor pressure of <b>1</b> is 0.75 Torr at 120 °C. These physical properties are promising for a potential atomic layer deposition (ALD) precursor. Aluminum metal films were deposited by thermal ALD using AlCl<sub>3</sub> and <b>1</b> as precursors with a growth rate of ~3.5 Å/cycle after 100 cycles within an ALD window between 120-140 °C. The films are crystalline aluminum metal by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed aluminum metal with 7.0 at.% C, 3.6 at.% N, and 0.9 at.% Cl impurities. The aluminum metal films had an electrically discontinuous morphology. Conductive aluminum metal films have been deposited under similar conditions using a different aluminum hydride reducing co-reactant, which highlights the impact that small precursor differences can have on film characteristics.


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