Joint Colloquium Distinguished Lecture Series

Atomic Layer Deposition: An Enabler for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 306 Soda Hall (HP Auditorium) 4:00 - 5:00 pm Roy Gordon Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University

Abstract:

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a process for depositing materials uniformly and conformally on surfaces with atomic control of thickness and composition. In ALD, the substrate surface is exposed alternately to vapors of two precursors, each of which reacts with the surface in a well-controlled manner, usually producing a monatomic layer (or less) after each cycle. Uniform thickness and composition of the material is maintained over any shape of surface, including inside very narrow holes, around nanowires and over nanoparticles. A wide variety of materials are produced, including metals, metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, multi-component compositions and organic-inorganic hybrid materials. ALD can make insulators, semiconductors and metals. ALD is already used to make computer chips, displays, devices for information storage (DRAMs and magnetic disks) and optical communication. Potential future applications for ALD will be discussed.

Biography:

B.Sc., 1961, Harvard College; Ph.D., 1964, Chemical Physics, Harvard University

Professor Gordon's research achievements span a wide range, from applied mathematics to physics, chemistry and materials science. His algorithms for efficient calculation of special functions, such as Airy functions, are widely used inside programs for fluid flow and optics. He developed new techniques for the application of quantum mechanics, classical mechanics and statistical mechanics to problems in chemistry and materials science. He discovered new materials and new deposition techniques for making thin films, nanowires, nanotubes and nanodots. Many inventions of great practical importance in energy conservation, solar energy conversion to electricity and fuels, lighting, displays, computer chips and optical communications came from his lab. He invented durable energy-saving "low-E" window coatings that now are used worldwide. His current research centers on the synthesis and development of new precursors for making thin films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Materials produced include metal films (copper, cobalt, ruthenium, iron, nickel, manganese), thin conducting barriers (TiN, TaN, WN, MoN), transparent conductors (SnO2(F) and ZnO(F)), magnetic materials (Fe, Co, Co4N, Ni, NiO, Fe2O3), and high-K dielectric materials (HfO2, ZrO2, La2Zr2O7, LaAlO3, LaLuO3 and Al2O3) and low-k dielectrics (highly conformal SiO2/Al2O3 nano-laminates).

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