Metallic thin films are key components in electronic devices and catalytic applications. Deposition of a conformal metallic thin film requires using volatile precursor molecules in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The metal centers in such molecules typically have a positive valence, meaning that reduction of the metal centers is required on the film surface. Powerful molecular reducing agents for electropositive metals are scarce and hampers the exploration of CVD of electropositive metals. We present a new CVD method for depositing metallic films where free electrons in a plasma discharge are utilized to reduce the metal centers of chemisorbed precursor molecules. We demonstrate this method by depositing Fe, Co and Ni from their corresponding metallocenes using electrons from an argon plasma as a reducing agent.

Metallic thin films are key components in electronic devices and catalytic applications. Deposition of a conformal metallic thin film require using volatile precursor molecules in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The metal centers in such molecules typically have a positive valence, meaning that reduction of the metal centers is required on the film surface. Powerful molecular reducing agents for electropositive metals are scarce and hampers the exploration of CVD of electropositive metals. We present a new CVD method for depositing metallic films where free electrons in a plasma discharge are utilized to reduce the metal centers of chemisorbed precursor molecules. We demonstrate this method by depositing Fe, Co and Ni from their corresponding metallocenes using electrons from an argon plasma as a reducing agent.

Area selective deposition (ASD) of films only on desired areas of the substrate opens for less complex fabrication of nanoscaled electronics. We show that a newly developed CVD method, where plasma electrons are used as the reducing agent in deposition of metallic thin films, is inherently area selective from the electrical resistivity of the substrate surface. When depositing iron with the new CVD method, no film is deposited on high-resistivity SiO 2 surfaces whereas several hundred nanometers thick iron films are deposited on areas with low resistivity, obtained by adding a thin layer of silver on the SiO 2 surface. On the basis of such a scheme, we show how to use the electric resistivity of the substrate surface as an extension of the ASD toolbox for metal-on-metal deposition.

Metallic thin films are key components in electronic devices and catalytic applications. Deposition of a conformal metallic thin film require using volatile precursor molecules in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The metal centers in such molecules typically have a positive valence, meaning that reduction of the metal centers is required on the film surface. Powerful molecular reducing agents for electropositive metals are scarce and hampers the exploration of CVD of electropositive metals. We present a new CVD method for depositing metallic films where free electrons in a plasma discharge are utilized to reduce the metal centers of chemisorbed precursor molecules. We demonstrate this method by depositing Fe, Co and Ni from their corresponding metallocenes using electrons from an argon plasma as a reducing agent.

<p>Area selective deposition (ASD) of films only on desired areas of the substrate opens for less complex fabrication of nanoscaled electronics. We show that a newly developed CVD method, where plasma electrons are used as the reducing agent in deposition of metallic thin films, is inherently area selective from the electrical resistivity of the substrate surface. When depositing iron with the new CVD method, no film is deposited on high-resistivity SiO₂ surfaces whereas several hundred nm thick iron films are deposited on areas with low resistivity, obtained by adding a thin layer of silver on the SiO₂ surface. Based on such a scheme, we show how to use the electric resistivity of the substrate surface as an extension of the ASD toolbox for metal-on-metal deposition. </p>