Liquid Phase Atomic Layer Deposition of α-Fe₂O₃ Thin Film via a Low-tempture and Low-cost Aqueous Solution Route

Abstract

Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) exhibits earth-abundance, non-toxicity, and excellent chemical and thermal stabilities. However, the conventional deposition methods require high temperatures during deposition or post-growth annealing typically above 500°C, thus making it difficult the deposition of α-Fe₂O₃ layers on thermally fragile substrates. To overcome this drawback, we are exploring novel liquid phase-atomic layer deposition (LP-ALD) methods, where the source and oxidizing solutions are employed as the precursors. In this study, we focus on the development of “Solution-Mediated Alternate Reaction Technique (SMART)” for hematite nanofilm deposition at a low temperature (75°C) with extremely simple operations.

Graphical Abstract

Surface and cross-sectional SEM images of the hematite film fabricated with the FeCl₂/NaNO₂ precursors^[4]. DOI: 10.1039/d0na00345j, Copyright: (2020) © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2020.