Nanomanufacturing: High-Throughput, Cost-Effective Deposition of Atomic Scale Thin Films via Atmospheric Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition

The demand for materials and devices with dimensions on the nanometer scale continues to increase. To meet this demand, high-throughput, cost-effective methods for depositing nanoscale thin films are needed. In the past few years, atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD) has emerged as a potential nanomanufacturing method that is scalable, open air, and operates at modest temperatures that are compatible with flexible substrates. In this Perspective, we compare AP-SALD to other high-throughput techniques for depositing nanometer-scale thin films, including gravure printing, screen printing, knife-over-edge coating, slot-die coating, inkjet printing, spray deposition, as well as high throughput sputtering and evaporation. Although AP-SALD does not provide the same patterning capabilities as some of these printing techniques, it offers multiple advantages: it produces continuous, conformal coatings with few defects; it requires minimal thermal treatment of the deposited materials; it provides atomic scale thickness control; it facilitates tuning of material properties; and no vacuum chamber is required, which simplifies maintenance requirements and minimizes the operating cost. Areas for further development are identified, which will allow these advantages to be leveraged: new precursors need to be developed to enable deposition of a wider variety of materials, precursor recycling should be examined, and AP-SAID systems that are high-throughput (roll-to-roll coating speeds of tens or hundreds of meters per minute) and low-maintenance need to be further developed and tested.