A Liquid Ge(IV) Precursor for Low Temperature Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Germanium Oxide Thin Films

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Florian Preischel - , Ruhr University Bochum, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Karl Rönnby - , University College Cork (Author)
  • Martin Wilken - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Jean Pierre Glauber - , Ruhr University Bochum, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Samuel Froeschke - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Detlef Rogalla - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Thomas Gemming - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Alexey A. Popov - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Peter Dement - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Michael Nolan - , University College Cork (Author)
  • Anjana Devi - , Chair of Materials Chemistry (gB/IFW), Ruhr University Bochum, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (Author)

Abstract

Germanium oxide thin films are promising for advanced applications such as microelectronics, optoelectronics, high-power electronics, optics, and biomedical uses. However, scalable and controlled low-temperature synthesis of GeO2 thin films via atomic layer deposition (ALD) is limited by the small range of available Ge precursors. We introduce monomeric tetrakis-3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl germanium(IV) [Ge(DMP)4] as a promising Ge precursor. It is non-pyrophoric, thermally stable, and liquid, and can be obtained in high purity on a multigram scale through an industrially feasible synthesis. Using density functional theory (DFT) and mass spectrometry (MS), we rationalize the coordination environment and identify a feasible chemisorption pathway, indicating a high reactivity of the precursor. Subsequently, [Ge(DMP)4] was employed in low-temperature plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD) over a wide temperature range from 40°C to 240°C, yielding smooth, uniform germanium oxide films. Rapid and homogeneous nucleation leads to dense films with sub-nanometer thickness. By adjusting the deposition temperature and plasma duration, the film composition could be readily tuned from GeO2 to sub-stoichiometric GeOx. These findings establish [Ge(DMP)4] as an effective, scalable precursor for low-temperature ALD of GeO2, emphasizing the critical role of precursor chemistry in ALD process development.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere11982
JournalSmall
Volume22
Issue number20
Publication statusPublished - 7 Apr 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 41709821

Keywords

Keywords

  • atomic layer deposition, density functional theory, main group elements, precursor design, thin films