Unusual stoichiometry control in the atomic layer deposition of manganese borate films from manganese bis(tris(pyrazolyl)borate) and ozone

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) of films with the approximate compositions Mn3(BO3)2 and CoB2O4 is described using MnTp2 or CoTp2 [Tp ¼ tris(pyrazolyl)borate] with ozone. The solid state decomposition temperatures of MnTp2 and CoTp2 are 370 and 340 C, respectively. Preparative-scale sublimations of MnTp2 and CoTp2 at 210 C/0.05 Torr afforded >99% recoveries with <0.1% nonvolatile residues. Self-limited ALD growth was demonstrated at 325 C for MnTp2 or CoTp2 with ozone as the coreactant. The growth rate for the manganese borate process was 0.19 A˚ /cycle within the ALD window of 300–350 C. The growth rate for the cobalt borate process was 0.39–0.42 A˚ /cycle at 325 C. X-ray diffraction of the as-deposited films indicated that they were amorphous. Atomic force microscopy of 35–36 nm thick manganese borate films grown within the 300–350 C ALD window showed root mean square surface roughnesses of 0.4–0.6 nm. Film stoichiometries were assessed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time of flight-elastic recoil detection analysis. The differing film stoichiometries obtained from the very similar precursors MnTp2 and CoTp2 are proposed to arise from the oxidizing ability of the intermediate high valent manganese oxide layers and lack thereof for cobalt.