title: Activation of Metal-Organic Precursors by Electron Bombardment in the Gas Phase for Enhanced Deposition of Solid Films.
abstract: The incorporation of gas-phase electron-impact ionization and activation of metal-organic compounds into atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes is reported as a way to enhance film growth with stable precursors. Specifically, it is shown here that gas-phase activation of methylcyclopentadienylmanganese tricarbonyl, MeCpMn(CO)3, which was accomplished by using a typical nude ion gauge employed in many ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) studies, enhances its dissociative adsorption on silicon surfaces, affording the design of ALD cycles with more extensive Mn deposition and at lower temperatures. Significantly higher Mn uptakes were demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on both silicon dioxide films and on Si(100) wafers Ar(+)-sputtered to remove their native oxide layer. The effectiveness of this electron-impact activation approach in ALD is explained in terms of the cracking patterns seen in mass spectrometry for the metal-organic precursor used.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States.
authors: Huaxing
authors: H
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States.
authors: Xiangdong
authors: X
authors: Qin
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Zaera
keywords: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); atomic layer deposition (ALD); chemical vapor deposition (CVD); electron-impact excitation; manganese; metal−organic precursor; methylcyclopentadienylmanganese tricarbonyl