Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Silver Using Ag(fod)(PEt3) and NH3-Plasma

A plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) process using the Ag(fod)(PEt3) precursor [(triethylphosphine)(6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionate)silver(I)] in combination with NH3-plasma is reported. The steady growth rate of the reported process (0.24 ± 0.03 nm/cycle) was found to be 6 times larger than that of the previously reported Ag ALD process based on the same precursor in combination with H2-plasma (0.04 ± 0.02 nm/cycle). The ALD characteristics of the H2-plasma and NH3-plasma processes were verified. The deposited Ag films were polycrystalline face-centered cubic Ag for both processes. The film morphology was investigated by ex situ scanning electron microscopy and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, and it was found that films grown with the NH3-plasma process exhibit a much higher particle areal density and smaller particle sizes on oxide substrates compared to those deposited using the H2-plasma process. This control over morphology of the deposited Ag is im...