An automatic multi-precursor flow-type atomic layer deposition system

Designs for two automated atomic layer deposition (ALD) flow reactors are presented, and their capabilities for coating additively manufactured (AM) metal prints are described. One instrument allows the coating of several AM parts in batches, while the other is useful for single part experiments. To demonstrate reactor capabilities, alumina (Al2O3) was deposited onto AM 316L stainless steel by dosing with water (H2O) vapor and trimethylaluminum (TMA) and purging with nitrogen gas (N2). Both instruments are controlled by custom-programmed LabVIEW software that enables in situ logging of temperature, total pressure, and film thickness using a quartz crystal microbalance. An initial result shows that 150 ALD cycles led to a film thickness of ∼55 nm, which was verified with Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. This indicates that the reactors were indeed depositing single atomic layers of Al2O3 per ALD cycle, as intended.