Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Study of Amorphous Lithium Silicate Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition
Study of Amorphous Lithium Silicate Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition
deposition
Jani Hämäläinena)
Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
Frans Munnik
Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden–Rossendorf,
P.O. Box 510119, D-01314 Dresden, Germany
Timo Hatanpää, Jani Holopainen, Mikko Ritala, and Markku Leskelä
Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 55, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
(Received 8 July 2011; accepted 30 August 2011; published 27 September 2011)
Lithium silicate thin films, which are interesting materials for example in lithium ion batteries, were
grown by the atomic layer deposition technique from lithium hexamethyldisilazide [LiHMDS,
Li(N(SiMe3)2)] and ozone precursors. Films were obtained at a wide deposition temperature range
between 150 and 400 C. All the films were amorphous except at 400 C, where partial
decomposition of LiHMDS was also observed. The growth behavior was examined in detail at
250 C, and saturation of growth rates and refractive indices with precursor doses was confirmed,
thereby verifying self-limiting surface reactions. Likewise, the linear thickness dependence of the
films with the number of deposition cycles was verified. Strong dependence of growth rate and film
composition on deposition temperature was also seen. Overall, the amorphous films grown at 250 C
had a stoichiometry close to lithium metasilicate (Li2.0SiO2.9) with 0.7 at. % carbon and 4.6 at. %
hydrogen impurities. The corresponding growth rate and refractive index (n580) were 0.8 Å/cycle
and about 1.55. VC 2012 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3643349]
01A106-1 J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 30(1), Jan/Feb 2012 0734-2101/2012/30(1)/01A106/5/$30.00 C 2012 American Vacuum Society
V 01A106-1
Author complimentary copy. Redistribution subject to AIP license or copyright, see http://jva.aip.org/jva/copyright.jsp
01A106-2 Hämäläinen et al.: Study of amorphous lithium silicate thin films 01A106-2
which could effectively increase the energy storage capacity cuit and a fast timing circuit to obtain a Z dependent signal
in battery applications.14–16 to separate different ions. Hydrogen and lithium were
The development of ALD processes for Li containing detected simultaneously with a separate solid state detector
films is currently under a growing interest for the 3D all- preceded by either a Mylar or an Al foil to stop other scat-
solid-state lithium ion batteries. Lithium lanthanum titanate tered and recoiled ions. The ERDA spectra and the RBS
thin films were deposited by introducing lithium into the spectrum from Cl scattering were fitted simultaneously using
films using LiOtBu–H2O subcycles.17 On the other hand, the program NDF.25
lithium lanthanate films were grown combining Lithd–O3
and La(thd)3–O3 processes.18 The Lithd–O3 combination by
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
itself leads into Li2CO3 films,18 which also can be obtained
by using LiOtBu, H2O, and CO2.19 In addition, lithium phos- LiHMDS is a trimeric compound in the solid state
phates can be grown using either LiOtBu or LiHMDS (Fig. 1)26–28 and dimeric in the gas phase.29 The LiHMDS
[Li(N(SiMe3)2)] with trimethyl phosphate.20 Also, the depo- melts at 71–72 C and is thus a solid at the used precursor
sitions of LiFePO4 and Li1.6Al1.0Oz have been presented temperature. Despite the oligomeric structure of LiHMDS
recently.21,22 As the overall number of ALD processes for the volatility is quite good compared to many other lith-
lithium containing materials is quite small, there is still a ium compounds.20 Good volatility is also indicated by the
need for developing straightforward, simple, and robust low precursor temperature (60 C) that was used in the
ALD processes that could eventually be applied for lithium ALD.
ion batteries. In the following study, LiHMDS will serve Lithium silicate films were deposited using LiHMDS and
both as an Li and Si source when combined with ozone, ozone as precursors. Figure 2 presents growth rates and
which breaks not only the Li–ligand bond but partially also refractive indices of the films as a function of LiHMDS pulse
the ligand itself. Because LiHMDS serves as a precursor for length at 250 C. The growth rate is about 0.7 Å/cycle with
two elements, the overall process is simplified from that usu- LiHMDS pulse length of 2 s or less and stabilizes to 0.8–0.9
ally required for ternary oxides. Å/cycle between 3 and 6 s. The refractive index is 1.54–1.55
with pulse lengths of 2 s or more. With 1 s LiHMDS pulse
the refractive index seems to be slightly higher (1.56). Simi-
II. EXPERIMENT lar results are obtained when varying the ozone pulse length
Thin films were grown in a commercial cross-flow F-120 (Fig. 3). The growth rate is around 0.8 Å/cycle with ozone
ALD reactor (ASM Microchemistry Ltd.) equipped with a pulses of 2 s or more; although the growth rate seems to
quartz cassette substrate holder under a nitrogen pressure of increase still slightly with increasing ozone pulse length.
about 10 mbar. Nitrogen was produced with a Domnick The use of 1 s ozone pulse lengths results in a small decrease
Hunter G2100E nitrogen generator and used as a carrier and in growth rate; however the films are still uniform across the
a purging gas in the ALD reactor. Two 5 5 cm2 silicon substrate. The films deposited with 1 s ozone pulses also
(111) substrates were used in most of the depositions, while have a somewhat higher refractive index (1.57) compared to
a soda lime glass also was applied in some experiments in the films obtained with longer ozone exposures (1.55). Over-
place of an Si substrate. The films were grown using lithium all, the results on both precursor pulse lengths indicate that
hexamethyldisilazide [LiHMDS, Li(N(SiMe3)2), also known the process is well controllable and follows the basic princi-
as lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] and ozone as precursors. ples of self-limiting growth as characteristic in ALD.
LiHMDS (Aldrich, 97%) was sublimed from an open source Next, the effect of the number of deposition cycles on
boat held inside the reactor at 60 C and pulsed with inert film thickness and refractive index was examined at 250 C.
gas valving. Some LiHMDS was also synthesized in-house
according to the literature.23 Ozone was produced with a
Wedeco Ozomatic Modular 4 HC Lab ozone generator from
oxygen (99.999%, Linde Gas) and pulsed from the main
ozone flow line into the reactor through a needle valve and a
solenoid valve.
Film thicknesses and refractive indices at a wavelength of
580 nm were evaluated from reflectance spectra measured
mostly between 190 and 1100 nm by a Hitachi U-2000 spec-
trophotometer.24 Crystallinity of the films was determined
with a PANalytical X’Pert Pro x-ray diffractometer in grazing
incidence mode (GIXRD). Adhesion of the films to Si was
tested with a common Scotch tape test. Electric resistivity of
the films was confirmed with a four-point probe technique.
Elemental compositions of the films were determined
with elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) using a 35
FIG. 1. (Color online) Molecular structure of [Li(N(SiMe3)2)]3. Thermal
MeV Cl7þ ion beam. The recoil ions were detected with a ellipsoids are drawn on the 50% level and hydrogen atoms are omitted for
Bragg ionization chamber using a full energy detection cir- clarity.
Author complimentary copy. Redistribution subject to AIP license or copyright, see http://jva.aip.org/jva/copyright.jsp
01A106-3 Hämäläinen et al.: Study of amorphous lithium silicate thin films 01A106-3
FIG. 2. Growth rate and refractive index of the lithium silicate films at FIG. 4. Thickness and refractive index of the lithium silicate films deposited
250 C as a function of LiHMDS pulse length. The pulse length for ozone at 250 C as a function of number of deposition cycles. The pulse lengths
was 2 s. All the purges were 1 s each. One-thousand cycles were applied in for LiHMDS and ozone were 4 and 2 s, respectively, with 1 s purges.
each deposition.
As characteristic for ALD oxide processes, the film thickness hand have a constant value over a large deposition tempera-
is related to the number of deposition cycles applied without ture range. A plateau for refractive index (1.55) is found
any noticeable incubation delay (Fig. 4). The refractive between 225 and 275 C, and in a deposition temperature
index also remains constant between 1.55 and 1.56, which is range between 150 and 300 C the refractive index variation
in good agreement with the refractive indices obtained with is still within the experimental error margins. The refractive
varying precursor pulse lengths (Figs. 2 and 3). index seems to slightly decrease between 275 and 350 C,
The LiHMDS–ozone process seems to comply with the which may indicate compositional changes in the films
general characteristics of ALD with respect to constant grown at higher temperatures. The sudden increase in refrac-
growth rate due to saturative precursor doses and self- tive index at 400 C is most likely related to the partial
limiting surface reactions (Figs. 2 and 3), and the linear decomposition of LiHMDS, observed also as a darker shade
dependence of film thickness with increasing number of in the hot end of the precursor tube after deposition. How-
deposition cycles at 250 C (Fig. 4). However, the growth ever, this was not detrimental to the film uniformity and did
rate of the process was found to be strongly dependent on not result in increased carbon contamination in the film (to
the deposition temperature (Fig. 5). The growth rate be discussed later).
increases quite linearly with increasing deposition tempera- The films are x-ray amorphous when deposited between
ture from 0.3 Å/cycle at 150 C up to 1.7 Å/cycle at 400 C. 150 and 350 C (Fig. 6); however, an unidentifiable peak is
This means that the LiHMDS–ozone process is lacking the visible in the pattern of a film deposited at 400 C. As
so-called ALD temperature window found in most ALD ox- noticeable decomposition was observed at this deposition
ide processes. The refractive indices of the films on the other temperature, it may be suggested that this crystallinity is
FIG. 3. Growth rate and refractive index of the lithium silicate films at FIG. 5. Growth rates and refractive indices of lithium silicate films as a func-
250 C as a function of ozone pulse length. The pulse length for LiHMDS tion of deposition temperature. The pulse lengths for LiHMDS and ozone
was 4 s. All the purges were 1 s each. One-thousand cycles were applied in were 4 and 2 s, respectively, with 1 s purges. One-thousand cycles were
each deposition. applied for all depositions, except at 150 C where 2000 cycles were used.
Author complimentary copy. Redistribution subject to AIP license or copyright, see http://jva.aip.org/jva/copyright.jsp
01A106-4 Hämäläinen et al.: Study of amorphous lithium silicate thin films 01A106-4
1=2 Li NðSiMe3 Þ2 2 ðgÞ þ X OHðsÞ
! Li NðSiMe3 Þ2 1X ðsÞ þ XHNðSiMe3 Þ2 ðgÞ;
Li NðSiMe3 Þ2 1x ðsÞ þ YO3 ðgÞ ! LiSi22x O4:54x ðsÞ
þ X OHðsÞ þ COx ðgÞ þ O2 ðgÞ þ H2 OðgÞ
þ other possible by-products
Deposition temperature
Author complimentary copy. Redistribution subject to AIP license or copyright, see http://jva.aip.org/jva/copyright.jsp
01A106-5 Hämäläinen et al.: Study of amorphous lithium silicate thin films 01A106-5
7
thick film showed substantially lower lithium content A. Sakuda, H. Kitaura, A. Hayashi, K. Tadanaga, and M. Tatsumisago,
(Li1.0SiO2.9) compared to the film grown on Si in Table I Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 11, A1 (2008).
8
K. Ben Saad, H. Hamzaoui, A. Labidi, and B. Bessaı̈s, Appl. Surf. Sci.
(Li1.7SiO2.8). The reason for this lithium content reduction is 254, 3955 (2008).
currently unknown. However, as lithium is known as an eas- 9
M. Matsui, J. Ceram. Soc. Jpn. 111, 848 (2003).
10
ily moving ion due to its small size, lithium might have T. Yamaguchi, T. Niitsuma, B. N. Nair, and K. Nakagawa, J. Membr. Sci.
294, 16 (2007).
migrated into Ta2O5. In fact, the lithium ionic conductivity 11
A. K. Suri, N. Krishnamurthy, and I. S. Batra, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 208,
of lithium silicates has been shown to increase in the pres- 012001 (2010).
ence of ozone.8 Also, the soda lime glasses used in some 12
M. Ritala and M. Leskelä, in Handbook of Thin Film Materials, edited by
growth experiments suffer from quite dramatic cracking H. S. Nalwa (Academic, San Diego, 2001), Vol. 1, pp. 103–156.
13
M. Ritala and J. Niinistö, in Chemical Vapor Deposition: Precursors, Proc-
after the lithium silicate deposition (Fig. 7), which is most esses and Applications, edited by A. C. Jones and M. L. Hitchman (The
likely caused by the lithium ion migration into the glass. An Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK, 2009), pp. 158–206.
14
efficient lithium ion barrier such as TiN (Ref. 30) could be J. F. M. Oudenhoven, L. Baggetto, and P. H. L. Notten, Adv. Energy
able to prevent the glass cracking. Mater. 1, 10 (2011).
15
H. C. M. Knoops, M. E. Donders, L. Baggetto, M. C. M. van de Sanden, P
H. L. Notten, and W. M. M. Kessels, ECS Trans. 25, 333 (2009).
16
IV. SUMMARY M. E. Donders, J. F. M. Oudenhoven, L. Baggetto, H. C. M. Knoops, M.
C. M. van de Sanden, W. M. M. Kessels, and P. H. L. Notten, ECS Trans.
In conclusion, lithium silicate films were successfully 33, 213 (2010).
17
deposited between 150 and 400 C from LiHMDS and ozone. T. Aaltonen, M. Alnes, O. Nilsen, L. Costelle, and H. Fjellvåg, J. Mater.
Chem. 20, 2877 (2010).
The films deposited at 250 C were shown to be grown in a 18
M. Putkonen, T. Aaltonen, M. Alnes, T. Sajavaara, O. Nilsen, and H. Fjell-
saturative and controllable manner as expected in ALD. The våg, J. Mater. Chem. 19, 8767 (2009).
19
growth rate of the LiHMDS–O3 process was strongly depend- A. S. Cavanagh, Y. Lee, B. Yoon, and S. M. George, ECS Trans. 22, 223
ent on the deposition temperature and increased from 0.3 up (2010).
20
J. Hämäläinen, J. Holopainen, F. Munnik, T. Hatanpää, M. Heikkilä, M.
to 1.7 Å/cycle between 150 and 400 C. Also the stoichiome- Ritala, and M. Leskelä, “Lithium phosphate thin films grown by atomic
tries of the films changed with deposition temperature. The layer deposition,” J. Electrochem. Soc. (submitted).
amorphous films deposited at 250 C had a growth rate of 21
K. B. Gandrud, A. Pettersen, O. Nilsen, and H. Fjellvåg, Baltic ALD 2010
0.8 Å/cycle, refractive index of about 1.55 (n580), and a stoi- & GerALD 2, Hamburg, Germany, 16–17 September 2010 (unpublished).
22
T. Aaltonen, O. Nilsen, and H. Fjellvåg, Baltic ALD 2010 & GerALD 2,
chiometry close to lithium metasilicate (Li2SiO3). The carbon Hamburg, Germany, 16–17 September 2010 (unpublished).
and hydrogen contents were 0.7 and 4.6 at. %, respectively. 23
E. H. Amonoo-Neizer, R. A. Shaw, D. O. Skovlin, and B. C. Smith, Inorg.
Synth. 8, 19 (1976).
24
M. Ylilammi and T. Ranta-aho, Thin Solid Films 232, 56 (1993).
ACKNOWLEDGMENT 25
N. P. Barradas, C. Jeynes, and R. P. Webb, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 291
Financial support from ASM Microchemistry Ltd. is (1997).
26
D. Von Mootz, A. Zinnius, and B. Böttcher, Angew. Chem. 81, 398
gratefully acknowledged. (1969).
27
R. D. Rogers, J. L. Atwood, and R. Grüning, J. Organomet. Chem. 157,
1
Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards File Nos. 00-029-0828, 229 (1978).
28
00-037-1472, 00-040-0376, and 00-042-0403. The crystal structure of LiHMDS is known but the atomic coordinates are
2
A. Nakagawa, N. Kuwata, Y. Matsuda, and J. Kawamura, J. Phys. Soc. not available in the Cambridge crystallographic database (CCDC). There-
Jpn. Supplement A 79, 98 (2010). fore we solved the structure and deposited the data into the Cambridge
3
S. Furusawa, A. Kamiyama, and T. Tsurui, Solid State Ionics 179, 536 database with reference number CCDC 833252.
29
(2008). T. Fjeldberg, M. F. Lappert, and A. J. Thorne, J. Mol. Struct. 125, 265
4
S. Furusawa, T. Kasahara, and A. Kamiyama, Solid State Ionics 180, 649 (1984).
30
(2009). H. C. M. Knoops, L. Baggetto, E. Langereis, M. C. M. van de Sanden, J.
5
J-H. Ahn, Y-J. Kim, and G. Wang, Nanoscale Res. Lett. 5, 1841 (2010). H. Klootwijk, F. Roozeboom, R. A. H. Niessen, P. H. L. Notten, and W.
6
Q. Sun, B. Zhang, and Z-W. Fu, Appl. Surf. Sci. 254, 3774 (2008). M. M. Kessels, J. Electrochem. Soc. 155, G287 (2008).
Author complimentary copy. Redistribution subject to AIP license or copyright, see http://jva.aip.org/jva/copyright.jsp