(24c) Controlling Nucleation and Selectivity in Atomic Layer Deposition for Materials Synthesis

With the growing demands on materials synthesis for applications such as advanced electronics and energy, atomic layer deposition (ALD) continues to gain attention as an important method to achieve nanoscale features at the sub-10 nm length scale. Based on sequential, self-limiting vapor-surface reactions, ALD offers exceptional conformality, thickness control at the Angstrom level, and tunable film composition. This talk will describe research into fundamental interfacial reaction mechanisms that underlie ALD. A deep understanding of the vapor-surface chemistry behind ALD can be critical toward developing both improved ALD nucleation and the associated process of area selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD). This talk will provide examples of tuning surface chemistry to either enhance or inhibit ALD nucleation. Some surface functionalization can lead to enhanced nucleation and better film quality. On the other hand, the development of inhibitory layers can alter the native surface reactivity to block nucleation. This inhibition strategy enables good selectivity in AS-ALD of thin films on a variety of substrate materials, including dielectrics and metals.