Tunable Sulfur Incorporation into Atomic Layer Deposition Films Using Solution Anion Exchange

Metal sulfide and oxysulfide thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are important functional materials for a range of applications including solar cells, catalysts, and electronic devices. However, ALD of sulfur-containing films typically requires H2S, a toxic, corrosive, and flammable gas. To circumvent these challenges, we propose a method of tuning sulfur incorporation into ALD films by first growing a metal oxide, using CuO x as a model system, followed by a solution-phase sulfur anion-exchange process. By controlling the reaction time, solution molarity, and temperature, we demonstrate tunable sulfur incorporation into the films, which is described using a coupled reaction-diffusion model. The evolution of the film crystallinity, composition, and morphology was quantified as a function of the anion-exchange process parameters. Conformal anion exchange on a ZnO@TiO2@CuO core–shell–shell nanowire is shown, demonstrating the ability to maintain the conformality of the initial ALD process on high-aspect-ratio structures. Additionally, area-selective anion exchange was performed on micro-patterned substrates, illustrating a pathway toward device fabrication. Finally, the electrical properties of the converted films were evaluated, indicating a tunable reduction in sheet resistance of up to 4 orders of magnitude. In the future, the combination of ALD and anion-exchange chemistry can be used to incorporate sulfur without the need for H2S gas, while maintaining the atomically precise and conformal properties of the original ALD process.