Atomic Layer Deposition of Ir−Pt Alloy Films

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to prepare thin-film mixtures of iridium and platinum. By controlling the ratio between the iridium(III) acetylacetonate/oxygen cycles for Ir ALD and the (trimethyl)methylcyclopentadienyl platinum(IV)/oxygen cycles for Pt ALD, the Ir/Pt ratio in the films could be controlled precisely. We first examined the growth mechanisms for the pure Ir and Pt ALD films, as well as the mixed-metal Ir−Pt ALD films, using in situ quartz crystal microbalance and quadrupole mass spectrometer measurements. These studies revealed that the nucleation and growth of each of the noble metals proceeds smoothly, with negligible perturbation caused by the presence of the other metal. As a consequence of this mutual compatibility, the composition, as well as the growth per cycle for the Ir−Pt films, followed rule-of-mixtures formulas that were based on the ratio of the metal ALD cycles and the growth rates of pure Ir and Pt ALD. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed that the films deposit as single-phase alloys in which the lattice parameter varies linearly with the composition. Similar to the pure noble-metal films, the Ir−Pt alloy films grow conformally on high-aspect-ratio trenches. This capability should open up new opportunities in microelectronics, catalysis, and other applications.