Aluminum metal is important in semiconductor devices and as a metal itself in metallization and as an alloy in e.g. TiAl metal gates or TiAlN electrodes. Prof. Winter and his team at Wayne State have previously published new paths to thermal ALD of titanium, here they published their recent achievement for thermal ALD of aluminum!
Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Metal Films Using a Thermally Stable Aluminum Hydride Reducing Agent
Chem. Mater., Just Accepted Manuscript
The thermal atomic layer deposition of aluminum metal films at temperatures as low as 100 °C is described using AlCl3
and a new aluminum dihydride complex that is supported by a bulky
amido-amine ligand. A growth rate of about 3.5 Å/cycle was observed
within a 120-160 °C ALD window and self-limiting growth was established
for both precursors. Resistivities as low as 3.03 Ω·cm were obtained
for the aluminum metal films. Root mean square surface roughnesses were
19-23% of the film thicknesses, as determined by atomic force
microscopy. Films grown on TiN substrates were crystalline by X-ray
diffraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of films grown at 100 and
140 °C showed Al (> 94 at%) with C and Cl impurities below the
detection limit (< 1 and 0.5 at%, respectively). Accordingly, this
process affords high purity, low resistivity aluminum metal films.
