Area-selective atomic layer deposition of SiO₂ using acetylacetone as a chemoselective inhibitor in an ABC-type cycle

Area-selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) is rapidly gaining interest because of its potential application in self-aligned fabrication schemes for next-generation nanoelectronics. Here, we introduce an approach for area-selective ALD that relies on the use of chemoselective inhibitor molecules in a three-step (ABC-type) ALD cycle. A process for area-selective ALD of SiO₂ was developed comprising acetylacetone inhibitor (step A), bis(diethylamino)silane precursor (step B), and O₂ plasma reactant (step C) pulses. Our results show that this process allows for selective deposition of SiO₂ on GeO₂, SiN_x, SiO₂, and WO₃, in the presence of Al₂O₃, TiO₂, and HfO₂ surfaces. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments and density functional theory calculations underline that the selectivity of the approach stems from the chemoselective adsorption of the inhibitor. The selectivity between different oxide starting surfaces and the compatibility with plasma-assisted or ozone-based ALD are distinct features of this approach. Furthermore, the approach offers the opportunity of tuning the substrate-selectivity by proper selection of inhibitor molecules.