Mixing ALD/MLD-grown ZnO and Zn-4-aminophenol layers into various thin-film structures

Building 2D inorganic-organic hybrids by combining inorganic and organic constituents with molecular-layer precision is an attractive approach to fabricate novel materials with a tailored combination of properties from both entities. Here we demonstrate the potential of the combined atomic and molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) technique for the state-of-the-art synthesis of such materials and to fabricate both homogeneous thin-film mixtures and nanolaminates of ZnO and the Zn-4-aminophenol inorganic-organic hybrid. The thin films are deposited by varying the number of precursor cycles during the depositions. Diethyl zinc and 4-aminophenol (AP) are used as precursors for the Zn-AP hybrid depositions, and diethyl zinc and water for the ZnO depositions. The characterization of the mixed Zn-AP and ZnO films reveals that crystallinity, density, surface roughness, chemical stability, hardness and contact modulus are sensitively altered by even a minor insertion of Zn-AP hybrid into the ZnO structure. Fabrication of Zn-AP + ZnO nanolaminates with different thicknesses of the Zn-AP and ZnO layers provides us with an even better way to control the hardness and contact modulus, and also to enhance the chemical stability of the films.