Resolving Impurities in Atomic Layer Deposited Aluminum Nitride through Low Cost, High Efficiency Precursor Design

A heteroleptic amidoalane precursor is presented as a more suitably designed candidate to replace trimethylaluminum (TMA) for atomic layer deposition of aluminum nitride (AlN). The lack of C-Al bonds and the strongly reducing hydride ligands in [AlH₂(NMe₂)]₃ (1) were specifically chosen to limit impurities in target aluminum nitride (AlN) films. Compound 1 is made in a high yield, scalable synthesis involving lithium aluminum hydride and dimethylammonium chloride. It has a vapor pressure of 1 Torr at 40 °C and evaporates with negligible residual mass in thermogravimetric experiments. Ammonia (NH₃) plasma and 1 in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process produced crystalline AlN films above 200 °C with an Al:N ratio of 1.04. Carbon and oxygen impurities in resultant AlN films were reduced to <1% and <2%, respectively. By using a precursor with a rational and advantageous design, we can improve the material quality of AlN films compared to those deposited using the industrial standard trimethylaluminum and could reduce material cost by up to 2 orders of magnitude.