Issue 38, 2021

Highly conductive and stable Co9S8 thin films by atomic layer deposition: from process development and film characterization to selective and epitaxial growth

Abstract

Co9S8 is an interesting sulfide material with metallic conductivity that has shown promise for various energy applications. Herein, we report a new atomic layer deposition process producing crystalline, pure, and highly conductive Co9S8 thin films using CoCl2(TMEDA) (TMEDA = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) and H2S as precursors at 180–300 °C. The lowest resistivity of 80 μΩ cm, best uniformity, and highest growth rate are achieved at 275 °C. Area-selective deposition is enabled by inherent substrate-dependency of film nucleation. We show that a continuous and conductive Co9S8 film can be prepared on oxide-covered silicon without any growth on Si–H. Besides silicon, Co9S8 films can be grown on a variety of substrates. The first example of an epitaxial Co9S8 film is shown using a GaN substrate. The Co9S8 films are stable up to 750 °C in N2, 400 °C in forming gas, and 225 °C in O2 atmosphere. The reported ALD process offers a scalable and cost-effective route to high-quality Co9S8 films, which are of interest for applications ranging from electrocatalysis and rechargeable batteries to metal barrier and liner layers in microelectronics and beyond.

Graphical abstract: Highly conductive and stable Co9S8 thin films by atomic layer deposition: from process development and film characterization to selective and epitaxial growth

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 ذو الحجة 1442
Accepted
12 محرم 1443
First published
12 محرم 1443
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Dalton Trans., 2021,50, 13264-13275

Highly conductive and stable Co9S8 thin films by atomic layer deposition: from process development and film characterization to selective and epitaxial growth

M. Mattinen, T. Hatanpää, K. Mizohata, J. Räisänen, M. Leskelä and M. Ritala, Dalton Trans., 2021, 50, 13264 DOI: 10.1039/D1DT02315B

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