Thin Film Formation Based on a Nanoporous Metal–Organic Framework by Layer-By-Layer Deposition

Understanding the structure of thin films is essential for successful applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), such as low k-dielectrics in electronic devices. This study focuses on the thin film formation of the 3D nanoporous MOF Cu₂(bdc)₂(dabco). The thin films are prepared by a layer-by-layer technique with varying deposition cycles (1 to 50). Thin film morphologies and crystallographic properties were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD). AFM revealed an island growth (Volmer-Weber) with plate-like shaped islands. FTIR and GIXD revealed that Cu₂(bdc)₂(dabco) crystals form already during the first preparation cycle. The heights of the islands do not increase linearly with the number of deposition cycles, suggesting multiple growth stages. X-ray diffraction pole figures uncover a uniplanar texture of the Cu₂(bdc)₂(dabco) crystals, together with randomly oriented crystallites. The fraction of uniplanar oriented crystals increases with each deposition cycle, reaching a maximum of 75% at ten deposition cycles, simultaneously achieving complete substrate coverage. However, already at five cycles, an additional phase of randomly oriented copper-terephthalate (Cu₂(bdc)) crystals appeared; this phase reaches a fraction of 22% at the largest film thickness (50 cycles). In summary, a detailed understanding of the thin film formation of an archetypal layer-pillar MOF is presented, elucidating how films grow in terms of their morphology and crystalline properties. Samples prepared by ten cycles show complete coverage of the substrate together with the highest degree of preferred crystal orientation. These results establish a deepened understanding of critical parameters for MOF thin film applications, such as complete substrate coverage and definition of the nanopores relative to the substrate surface.