(195k) Application of Liquid Injection ALD Deposited Nickel Oxide to Fabricate Mim Diode for Rectenna-Based Heat Harvesters

Li, Xiang Lei; Pinhero, P.J.

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a technique that provides highly-regulated control of layer-by-layer film growth. This is particularly important in nanofabrication of extremely thin oxides for high-speed electronics. In this study, a direct liquid injection ALD system was designed and built due to the difficulty of depositing nickel oxide from the precursor, Ni(thd₂), which has a high boiling point. Cyclohexane is used as a solution to deliver the precursor in order to achieve a better control of the deposition process. Nickel oxide thin films are also characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Electron Microscopies (EMs), to get better understanding of its thickness and homogeneity.

Liquid injection ALD techniques for depositing nickel oxide thin films are also used in the fabrication of a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) diode. Nickel oxide thin films are deposited as the insulator in the middle layer. We are currently using copper as both top and bottom metal electrodes. These are each deposited by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD). In the future, we are planning to use various other metal/metal-oxide options for these MIM diodes.

In addition to the fabrication of the MIM diode, this presentation will also provide a status on measuring characteristic electrical properties for MIM diodes and comparing these with theoretical values obtained through modeling.