SiO₂ thin film growth through a pure atomic layer deposition technique at room temperature

In this study, less contaminated and porous SiO₂ films were grown via ALD at room temperature. In addition to the well-known catalytic effect of ammonia, the self-limitation of the reaction was demonstrated by tuning the exposure of SiCl₄, NH₃ and H₂O. This pure ALD approach generated porous oxide layers with very low chloride contamination in films. This optimized RT-ALD process could be applied to a wide range of substrates that need to be 3D-coated, similar to mesoporous structured membranes.