Fabrication of Thin Films of α-Fe₂O₃ via Atomic Layer Deposition Using Iron Bisamidinate and Water under Mild Growth Conditions

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been shown to be an excellent method for depositing thin films of iron oxide. With limited iron precursors available, the methods widely used require harsh conditions such as high temperatures and/or the use of oxidants such as ozone or peroxide. This letter aims to show that bis(N,N'-di-t-butylacetamidinato) iron(II) (iron bisamidinate or FeAMD) is an ideal ALD precursor because of its reactivity with water and relative volatility. Using in situ QCM analysis, we show outstanding conformal self-limiting growth of FeOx using FeAMD and water at temperatures lower than 200 °C. By annealing thin films of FeOx at 500 °C, we observe the formation of α-Fe2O3, confirming that we can use FeAMD to fabricate thin films of catalytically promising iron oxide materials using moderate growth conditions.