Issue 13, 2007

The growth of ErxGa2−xO3 films by atomic layer deposition from two different precursor systems

Abstract

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) growth of ErxGa2−xO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) thin films was demonstrated using two precursor systems: Er(thd)3, Ga(acac)3, and ozone and Er(C5H4Me)3, Ga2(NMe2)6, and water at substrate temperatures of 350 and 250 °C, respectively. Both processes provided uniform films and exhibited surface-limited ALD growth. The value of x in ErxGa2−xO3 was easily varied by selecting a pulse sequence with an appropriate erbium to gallium precursor ratio. The Er(thd)3, Ga(acac)3, and ozone precursor system provided stoichiometric ErxGa2−xO3 films with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and fluorine levels of <0.2, <0.2, <0.3, and 0.6–2.2 atomic percent, respectively, as determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and time of flight-elastic recoil detection analysis (TOF-ERDA). The film growth rate was between 0.25 and 0.28 Å cycle−1. The effective permittivity of representative samples was between 10.8 and 11.3. The Er(C5H4Me)3, Ga2(NMe2)6, and water precursor system provided stoichiometric ErxGa2−xO3 films with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and fluorine levels of 2.0–6.1, 5.0–10.3, <0.3–0.7, and ≤0.1 atom percent, respectively, as determined by RBS and TOF-ERDA. The film growth rate was between 1.0 and 1.5 Å cycle−1 and varied as a function of the Er(C5H4Me)3 to Ga2(NMe2)6 pulse ratio. The effective permittivity of representative samples was between 9.2 and 10.4. The as-deposited films of both precursor systems were amorphous, but crystallized either to Er3Ga5O12 or to a mixture of β-Ga2O3 and Er3Ga5O12 upon annealing between 900 and 1000 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. Atomic force microscopy showed root mean square surface roughnesses of <1.0 nm for typical films regardless of precursor system or film composition.

Graphical abstract: The growth of ErxGa2−xO3 films by atomic layer deposition from two different precursor systems

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Nov 2006
Accepted
12 Dec 2006
First published
12 Jan 2007

J. Mater. Chem., 2007,17, 1308-1315

The growth of ErxGa2−xO3 films by atomic layer deposition from two different precursor systems

C. L. Dezelah, P. Myllymäki, J. Päiväsaari, K. Arstila, L. Niinistö and C. H. Winter, J. Mater. Chem., 2007, 17, 1308 DOI: 10.1039/B616443A

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