Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD): at the edge of dimensional and compositional control of films for energy and electronics
CIC nanoGUNE Seminars
- Speaker
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Parag Banerjee
University of Central Florida - When
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2025/04/14
11:00 - Place
- CIC nanoGUNE Seminar room, Tolosa Hiribidea 76, Donostia-San Sebastian
- Host
- Mato Knez
- Add to calendar
-
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ALD provides the ultimate processing toolbox for the dimensional and compositional sculpting of films. In this talk, I will summarize our group’s work on this technique, focusing on the applications in Si photovoltaics (PVs) and the development of new, near-zero temperature coefficient of resistivity (nz-TCR) materials.
The first half of the talk will introduce ALD as a process platform highlighting its unique attributes of monolayer control over film growth and composition. The role of in situ techniques such as, mass spectrometry and ellipsometry to study ALD in real time will be highlighted with emphasis on the recent advent of machine learning algorithms to interpret large volumes of process data.
The second half of the talk will highlight recent applications of ALD films for passivating + carrier selective contacts in Si PV. Few monolayers of ALD films such as, MoO3 and TiO2 on Si surfaces produce chemically and structurally unique interfaces that allow selective and efficient extraction of either, electrons or holes from solar cells with minimal carrier recombination. Next, I will show that the precise compositional tuning of metal (TiN) and insulating (SiNx) components in Si-doped TiN films leads to a material that is neither a metal nor an insulator. These films possess a TCR of ~ 0.05 ppm/K (i.e., near zero) over a significantly wide temperature range, from 80 - 420K.
The above applications exemplify ALD’s inimitable process characteristics that help us to rationally design new materials and interfaces, addressing many of today’s technological bottlenecks in energy and electronics.
Representative publications:
- Arunachalam, et al., “Machine learning approach to thickness prediction from in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry data for atomic layer deposition processes”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 2022, 40 (1), 10.
- Chen et al., “Investigation of H2 Plasma Incorporated ALD-TiOx Films as Hole-Selective Passivating Contacts in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells”, ACS Applied Energy Materials 2024, 7 (14), 5879-5892.
- Berriel et al., “Reactant-Dependent, 108× Conductivity Modulation in Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition for Black TiO2 Films”, Chemistry of Materials 2024, 36 (16), 7647-7655.
- Gregory et al., “Improving the Passivation of Molybdenum Oxide Hole-Selective Contacts with 1 nm Hydrogenated Aluminum Oxide Films for Silicon Solar Cells”, Physica Status Solidi a 2020, 217 (15), 7.
- Feit et al., “Achieving near-zero temperature coefficient of resistivity in atomic layer deposition TiSixN films through composition tuning”, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 2020, 38 (6), 8.