Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of AlPO4 /AlP x O y: comparing dual source and supercycle approaches for composition control

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Florian Preischel - , Ruhr University Bochum, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • David Zanders - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Jean Pierre Glauber - , Ruhr University Bochum, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Karl Rönnby - , University College Cork (Author)
  • Detlef Rogalla - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Thomas Gemming - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Peter Dement - , Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Author)
  • Michal 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

In pursuit of developing a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process for AlPO4, we explored two different approaches, both employing an O2 plasma as the co-reactant. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that TMA-phosphine adducts are stable, with ethyl or isopropyl groups on the phosphine. The adducts were thermally characterized, with the newly synthesized [Me3 AlPi Pr3] (TMAPIP) featuring a promising one-step evaporation. Therefore, it was tested as a dual-source precursor at 120 °C, providing both Al and P atoms for the resulting AlPx Oy layers, thereby simplifying the process design. Although the P content of the PEALD-deposited films was limited to a few percent, this might be advantageous for P doping of Al2 O3. The second approach, therefore, involved a supercycle (SC) process design, in which the number of phosphorus reagent sub-cycles using P(NMe2)3 as the precursor was varied alongside a single Al2 O3 cycle with TMA; in both cases, O2 plasma was used as the co-reactant. Simple gas-phase DFT calculations show that P(NMe2)3 reacts favorably with the chemisorbed Al species present in the second sub-cycle. The SC method enabled the incorporation of significantly higher amounts of P over a broad temperature range from 60 °C to 240 °C. The deposition of stoichiometric AlPO4 was ultimately achieved by varying the number of phosphorus cycles, allowing the composition to be precisely adjusted via the deposition temperature.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)17507-17520
Number of pages14
JournalDalton transactions
Volume54
Issue number47
Early online date31 Oct 2025
Publication statusPublished - 12 Dec 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 41221652

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas