Atomic Layer Epitaxy of Conducting Oxides and Heterostructures

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

This joint award made to Northwestern University by the Advanced Materials Program in the Division of Chemistry (MPS) and the Electronic Materials Program in the Division of Materials Research (MPS) is to synthesize new macrocyclic nitrogenous polyketonato/polyketoiminato complexes as well as metal alkyls and dialkylamides with polar metal-carbon and metal-nitrogen linkages for use as precursors in conventional, pulsed organometallic beam epitaxy, and atomic layer epitaxy film growth processes. With this award, Professors Chang and Marks will study precursor molecular architecture-volatility-thermal stability-surface reactivity relationships leading to more effective precursors. Transparent thin films of conducting oxides will be grown from these precursors using precision-pulsed vapor deposition techniques, and these thin films would have potential applications in flat-panel display and photovoltaic devices. Lattice-matched cubic film systems with oxidative dopants will be studied for producing efficient p-type conductor films using vapor phase deposition onto self-assembled monolayer templates to create desired film microstructural, optical and electrical functionalities. This highly collaborative effort will bring together materials science and chemistry research groups with educational and research opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral students. With this award, novel precursors with polar metal-carbon and metal-nitrogen linkages will be prepared for use in conventional and precision-pulsed vapor deposition processes to prepare transparent thin films of conducting oxides. These precursors are expected to possess optimum molecular architecture, volatility, thermal stability and surface reactivity for the deposition of transparent thin films of conducting oxides. Sub-micrometer and nanometer scale patterns of the oxide films by soft lithography and coherent growth of dislocation-free islands will also be prepared.