Tailoring indium oxide film characteristics through oxygen reactants in atomic layer deposition with highly reactive liquid precursor

Indium oxide (InOx) films were deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) using a novel liquid indium precursor, dimethyl[N1-(tert-butyl)–N2,N2-dimethylethane-1,2-diamine]indium (DMITN). In this process, the reactant (H2O, O3, or O2 plasma) and substrate temperature (100–250 ℃) were varied. The DMITN precursor showed excellent reactivity with all three reactants. The growth characteristics (ALD window, growth per cycle, and step coverage) and film properties (impurities, stoichiometry, oxygen bonding state, crystallinity, film density, and electrical properties) differed based on the ALD process employed, ascribed to the distinct thermal energies and inherent reactivities of the chosen oxidants. As the oxidation energy of the reactants increased (H2O < O3 < O2 plasma), the growth per cycle (GPC) and the oxygen–indium bond ratio of InOx increased. Crystallinity analysis also revealed significant differences depending on the reactants, where the Hall mobility was predominantly influenced by the crystal alignment. The step coverage at an aspect ratio of 40:1 was markedly superior with the use of H2O and O3 reactants (approximately 95 %) compared to that with O2 plasma (approximately 74 %). These findings highlight the capability of controlling the growth and properties of InOx films by judiciously selecting the reactant, emphasizing the versatility of the DMITN precursor in ALD processes.