Characteristics of NiO films prepared by atomic layer deposition using bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)-Ni and O2 plasma

• Published in: The Korean journal of chemical engineering Vol. 35; no. 12; pp. 2474 - 2479
• Main Authors: Ji, Su-Hyeon, Jang, Woo-Sung, Son, Jeong-Wook, Kim, Do-Heyoung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.12.2018; Springer Nature B.V; 한국화학공학회
• Subjects: Atomic layer epitaxy; Biotechnology; Catalysis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electronic; High aspect ratio; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Inorganic; Linearity; Materials (Organic; Materials Science; Nickel oxides; Nucleation; Optimization; Plasma; Process parameters; Purging; Silicon substrates; Thickness; Thin Films; 화학공학; Plasma-enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition; Nickel Oxide; Bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)-nickel; Thin Film; Atomic Layer Deposition
• ISSN: 0256-1115; 1975-7220
• DOI: 10.1007/s11814-018-0179-5

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) is well-known for fabricating conformal and uniform films with a well-controlled thickness at the atomic level over any type of supporting substrate. We prepared nickel oxide (NiO) thin films via PEALD using bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)-nickel (Ni(EtCp) 2 ) and O 2 plasma. To optimize the PEALD process, the effects of parameters such as the precursor pulsing time, purging time, O 2 plasma exposure time, and power were examined. The optimal PEALD process has a wide deposition-temperature range of 100–325 °C and a growth rate of 0.037±0.002 nm per cycle. The NiO films deposited on a silicon substrate with a high aspect ratio exhibited excellent conformality and high linearity with respect to the number of PEALD cycles, without nucleation delay.