Influence of precursor dose and residence time on the growth rate and uniformity of vanadium dioxide thin films by atomic layer deposition

The growth of vanadium dioxide (VO₂) thin films using tetrakis (ethyl-methyl) amino vanadium (TEMAV) and H₂O by atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been investigated as a function of the exposure dose and residence time. A novel multiple pulse mode has been employed to mitigate the small deposition rate brought about by the low vapor pressure of TEMAV. Compared to the conventional ALD cycle with a single pulse of precursor, the use of multiple pulsing with very short pulse time allows lower consumption of precursor, but larger exposure dose and longer residence time on the growth surface, resulting in a higher growth rate for a low volatility precursor, while maintaining a good film uniformity across 4-in. wafers. The Raman analysis and the electrical resistivity modulation of the VO₂ thin films show that the films synthesized by the multiple pulse mode is comparable to the films synthesized by the conventional single pulse mode.