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Mg precursor used as doping agent and for the growth of multi-component metal oxide thin films and emerging materials

Mg precursors have been employed for the growth of a variety of thin films by chemical vapor deposition techniques including the transparent protective coating MgF₂ [1] and the solid-state electrolyte Mg₃(PO₄)₂ [2]. Thus, the process development mainly focused on Mg as dopant material and Mg oxide based thin films. Thereby, the focus is shifting from the semiconductor MgO towards complex multi component oxides with a variety of applications. [3-5]

The major challenge with regard to precursor requirements is the p-type doping for III-V semiconductors for applications in LEDs [6]. For these high-temperature epitaxial growth processes, it is essential that the metal source does not contain oxygen in the ligand sphere to avoid oxidation of the thin films. Additionally, high thermal stability and a clean decomposition pathway are desired to enable growth of high purity crystalline layers.

Magnesium amidinates have been investigated since 2001 as an alternative precursor class to the cyclopentadienyl compounds in an attempt to reduce the carbon incorporation into thin films such as Mg-doped GaN arising from ligand fragments embedding at elevated process temperatures. [7] The advantageous precursor properties including high volatility and thermal stability have been highlighted in ALD studies for the growth of MgO and Mg₁Ca_1-xO yielding high purity films in a broad ALD window. [8, 9]

References:

1.       Chem. Mater. 2016, 28, 2022.
2.       Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 2020, 59, SIIG08.
3.       Ceram. Int. 2020, 46, 10115.
4.       Nano Res. 2020, 13, 2716.
5.       J. Cryst. Growth 2007, 298, 468.
6.       Sci. Report 2018, 8, 7311.
7.       Inorg Chem. 2001, 40, 6349.
8.       Proceedings of the AVS Atomic Layer Deposition Conference, 2009.
9.       Nano Lett. 2016, 16, 7650.

Featured Product:

12-0865 Bis(N-t-butyl-N'-ethylpropanimidamidato)magnesium, min. 98% (99.99+%-Li) PURATREM

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