Hydrogen and Deuterium Incorporation in ZnO Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were grown by atomic layer deposition using diethylzinc (DEZ) and water. In addition to depositions with normal water, heavy water (2H2O) was used in order to study the reaction mechanisms and the hydrogen incorporation at different deposition temperatures from 30 to 200 °C. The total hydrogen concentration in the films was found to increase as the deposition temperature decreased. When the deposition temperature decreased close to room temperature, the main source of impurity in hydrogen changed from 1H to 2H. A sufficiently long purging time changed the main hydrogen isotope incorporated in the film back to 1H. A multiple short pulse scheme was used to study the transient steric hindrance. In addition, the effect of the storage of the samples in ambient conditions was studied. During the storage, the deuterium concentration decreased while the hydrogen concentration increased an equal amount, indicating that there was an isotope exchange reaction with ambient H2 and/or H2O.