XPS study of thermal and electron-induced decomposition of Ni and Co acetylacetonate thin films for metal deposition

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4953469· OSTI ID:22592881

Weiss, Theodor; Warneke, Jonas; Zielasek, Volkmar; Swiderek, Petra; Bäumer, Marcus ^[1]

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1. Institut für Angewandte und Physikalische Chemie, Universität Bremen, Postfach 330440, D-28334 Bremen (Germany)

Optimizing thin metal film deposition techniques from metal-organic precursors such as atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) with the help of surface science analysis tools in ultrahigh vacuum requires a contamination-free precursor delivery technique, especially in the case of the less volatile precursors. For this purpose, the preparation of layers of undecomposed Ni(acac){sub 2} and Co(acac){sub 2} was tried via pulsed spray evaporation of a liquid solution of the precursors in ethanol into a flow of nitrogen on a CVD reactor. Solvent-free layers of intact precursor molecules were obtained when the substrate was held at a temperature of 115 °C. A qualitative comparison of thermally initiated and electron-induced precursor decomposition and metal center reduction was carried out. All deposited films were analyzed with respect to chemical composition quasi in situ by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Thermally initiated decomposition yielded higher metal-to-metal oxide ratios in the deposit than the electron-induced process for which ratios of 60:40 and 20:80 were achieved for Ni and Co, resp. Compared to continuous EBID processes, all deposits showed low levels of carbon impurities of ∼10 at. %. Therefore, postdeposition irradiation of metal acetylacetonate layers by a focused electron beam and subsequent removal of intact precursor by dissolution in ethanol or by heating is proposed as electron beam lithography technique on the laboratory scale for the production of the metal nanostructures.

• OSTI ID: 22592881
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Vol. 34, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2016 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0734-2101
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
42 ENGINEERING
CARBON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DEPOSITS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
ETHANOL
EVAPORATION
LAYERS
LIQUIDS
METALS
NITROGEN
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
PRECURSOR
THIN FILMS
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY