Layer-by-layer deposition

idmena

Hi

I was hoping you could help me a little bit regarding the layer-by-layer deposition process. I have not been able to find a book in my campus library that talks about this particular process, nor have found any "how to" online (must likely haven't searched in the right places), so I come to you with some doubts.

The things I would like to learn are:
What conditions should the substrate meet to be elegible for LBL? (e.g. must it be conductor? must it be porous (how much)?
What or how is the process of preparing a metal for deposition with this techniche? In other words: How do I prepare the liquid anion/cation?
In my case, I am only interested in depositing one type of metal (aluminium oxide), so what should/can the other layer be?

I expect only to be pointed in the right direction, if you could share a tutorial/text/book/article that can tell me about this I would really apreaciate it. Of course that if you can also provide a direct answer to any of my questions it would be great.
I am also aware of other deposition techniques, and I'm already doing the proper research on them.

Thanks in advance

f95toli

Layer-by-layer deposition isn't a method as such. There are several techniques that can be used, and the choice of technique depends on the materials you are usings.

The most "obvious" technique for layer-by-layer deposition is MBE, this is e.g. used for III-V semiconductors. However, you can also do layer by layer using other methods, for example pulsed laser deposition (used with in-situ RHEED) is often used for complex oxides.

I am not sure there is a technique that can be used for aluminium oxide, most films tend to be amourphous, ALD (atomic layer deposition) can be used to deposit good quality films, but I don't think it can be used for true layer-by-layer deposition.