An Atomistic View of the Incipient Growth of Zinc Oxide Nanolayers

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00844
• Publication Date: 2016-08-09T18:28:07Z
• Authors: Manh Hung Chu; Liang Tian; Ahmad Chaker; Valentina Cantelli; Toufik Ouled; Raphaël Boichot; Alexandre Crisci; Sabine Lay; Marie-Ingrid Richard; Olivier Thomas; Jean-Luc Deschanvres; Hubert Renevier; Dillon D. Fong; Gianluca Ciatto
• Keywords: X-ray absorption spectroscopy

The growth of zinc oxide thin films by atomic layer deposition is believed to proceed through an embryonic step in which three-dimensional nanoislands form and then coalesce trigger a layer-by-layer mode. This transient initial state characterized poorly ordered structure, may be inaccessible X-ray diffraction techniques. In this work, we apply absorption spectroscopy situ address the local structure Zn after each cycle, using custom-built reactor mounted at synchrotron beamline, shed light on atomistic mechanisms taking place during first stages growth. We find that such are surprisingly different for amorphous (silica) crystalline (sapphire) substrate. Ab initio simulations quantitative data analysis allow formulation comprehensive model, based effects surface atoms grain boundaries nanoscale islands, consequent induced disorder. From comparison these results with those from reported recently, observe final nanolayers depends strongly approach followed here case will general interest characterizing optimizing properties more complex nanostructures.