Influence of the Kinetic Adsorption Process on the Atomic Layer Deposition Process of (GeTe2)(1–x)(Sb2Te3)x Layers Using Ge4+–Alkoxide Precursors

Abstract

(GeTe2)(1–x)(Sb2Te3)x (GST) layers were deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) at growth temperatures ranging from 50 to 120 °C using Ge(OCH3)4 or Ge(OC2H5)4, Sb(OC2H5)3, and [(CH3)3Si]2Te as the metal–organic precursors of the Ge, Sb, and Te elements, respectively. The GST layers with compositions lying on the GeTe2–Sb2Te3 tie lines could be obtained by varying the ratio of the Ge–Te and Sb–Te ALD cycles. Although the incorporation of an Sb–Te layer into the GST film occurred in a genuine ALD manner, that of the Ge–Te layer was governed by the kinetically limited physisorption of Ge precursors. The incorporation behavior of the Ge precursor with different ligands was explained by the adsorption and desorption kinetics based on the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller isotherm. The ALD-like film growth behavior could be well-explained by the kinetically limited incorporation of Ge atoms.