Spatial atomic layer deposition of zinc oxide thin films.

Zinc oxide thin films have been deposited at high growth rates (up to ~1 nm/s) by spatial atomic layer deposition technique at atmospheric pressure. Water has been used as oxidant for diethylzinc (DEZ) at deposition temperatures between 75 and 250 °C. The electrical, structural (crystallinity and morphology), and optical properties of the films have been analyzed by using Hall, four-point probe, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence, respectively. All the films have c-axis (100) preferential orientation, good crystalline quality and high transparency (∼ 85%) in the visible range. By varying the DEZ partial pressure, the electrical properties of ZnO can be controlled, ranging from heavily n-type conductive (with 4 mOhm.cm resistivity for 250 nm thickness) to insulating. Combining the high deposition rates with a precise control of functional properties (i.e., conductivity and transparency) of the films, the industrially scalable spatial ALD technique can become a disruptive manufacturing method for the ZnO-based industry.