Emerging atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes for low thermal budget flexible electronics

Low temperature plasma-assisted ALD-grown metal nanocomposite layers based on mixtures of ruthenium and cobalt have been investigated as potential conductive adhesion/barrier layers in thermally restrictive flexible electronics applications. While Ru:Co metal ratios can be easily adjusted with these processes, initial samples for low thermal budget applications were processed at 200°C with a Ru:Co ratio of 3:2. The use of plasma-assisted processing and carefully selected reactant chemistries have allowed the demonstration of even lower deposition temperatures, allowing integration with a wide range of organic and polymeric substrate materials.