Self‐Organized Metal‐Carbon Multilayers Formed by Ion Beam Induced Deposition from Trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum(IV)

Abstract Films deposited from Trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum(IV) (MeCpPtMe ₃ ) using 1–1.2 keV Ar ⁺ and H ₂ ⁺ ion beams with low deposition rates (<100 nm h ⁻¹ ) exhibit spontaneous formation of well‐ordered alternating layers of ≈8 nm platinum and carbon, in marked contrast to the heterogeneous distribution of Pt produced from MeCpPtMe ₃ during typical ion or electron beam induced deposition (IBID/EBID). Top‐down scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and optical microscopy show a series of light and dark rings corresponding to the number of layers in the deposit. The Pt‐rich layers consist of platinum grains with diameters of up to 10 nm, larger than the ≈5 nm diameter Pt grains typically observed for IBID deposits from this precursor. Formation of self‐organized layers is postulated to occur as a result of the initial decomposition of MeCpPtMe ₃ on the growth surface, followed by ion enhanced diffusion and recoil implantation, whose effects are concentrated near the surface by the low penetration depth of low‐energy ions. During recoil implantation, the movement of Pt atoms is preferentially downward, as the Pt atom trajectories are relatively unaffected by the light C atom matrix, resulting in enriched Pt layers with large grains. In contrast, C atoms are displaced by Pt atoms, maintaining a C rich surface layer during growth.