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ALD Precursors and Reaction Mechanisms

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Atomic Layer Deposition for Semiconductors

Abstract

Successful use of ALD requires chemical precursors with sufficient volatility, thermal stability, and self-limited reactivity with surfaces. Effective ALD precursors are now known for most non-radioactive elements and many of them are commercially available. This review describes their chemical types, typical properties, and reactivity. Suitable pairs of precursors can deposit some pure elements, oxides of most elements, nitrides of many elements, sulfides, selenides and tellurides of some elements, and phosphides, arsenides, carbides, and fluorides of few elements. The mechanisms of ALD reactions involve the transfer of atoms between precursor vapors and surfaces. The transferred atoms are either hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, or chlorine.

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Acknowledgments

I want to thank my students and post-doctoral fellows who have worked together with me in this interesting, challenging, and important field of research: Titta Aaltonen, Sean Barry, Jill S. Becker, Mike Coulter, Damon Farmer, Dennis M. Hausmann, Adam Hock, Jaeyeong Heo, Daewon Hong, Esther Kim, Kyoung-ha Kim, Jean Sebastien Lehn, Sang Bok Kim, Booyong S. Lim, Don Keun Lee, Sang Woon Lee, Huazhi Li, Zhefeng Li, Zhengwen Li, Xinye Liu, Yiqun Liu, Hisashi Nakagawa, Jun Ni, Wontae Noh, Dawen Pang, Helen H. Park, Jin-Seong Park, Antti Rahtu, P. Venkateswara Rao, Leonard N. J. Rodriguez, Philippe de Rouffignac, Prasert Sinsermsuksakul, Amethyst Smith, Seigi Suh, Hongtao Wang, Shenglong Wang, Xinwei Wang, Sheng Xu, and Andrew P. Yousef.

Support was provided by the US National Science Foundation, Dow Chemical, IBM, and Intel.

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  1. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Roy G. Gordon

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  1. Department of Materials Science and Engi, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Choel Seong Hwang

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Gordon, R.G. (2014). ALD Precursors and Reaction Mechanisms. In: Hwang, C. (eds) Atomic Layer Deposition for Semiconductors. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8054-9_2

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