Aqueous clusters are important precursors for thin film materials widely used in advanced technologies such as dielectrics and nanolaminates. The aggregation of these pre-nucleation clusters lead to nucleation and growth and subsequently to the formation of high quality thin films. The fundamental relation between water-based chemistry and properties of thin films is complex, but its study can be useful to understand and control the formation of homogeneous films.Hafnium sulfate solutions are used for lithographic patterning applications. As a diverse and rich family of compounds, hafnium sulfates can be used as model systems to provide insights of the solution-phase speciation and its relationship to solid-state and film assembly. It is generally understood that the tetrameric building units [Hf4(OH)8(H2O)16]8+ dominates in solution. [1] However, slight changes in conditions and / or solution composition result in different speciation not always related with the solid-state clusters. Very recently, a Zr-sulfate study reveals that larger oligomeric clusters (building blocks) exist in aqueous solutions. [2]With the aim to understand the hafnium aqueous solution processes and their importance to film assembly, in this contribution we use SAXS and other characterization techniques to explore hafnium aqueous clusters, providing useful information for inorganic materials design from solutions. [1] Acta Chemica Scandinavica Series A-Physical and Inorganic Chemistry 1977  , 31, 171[2] J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013  , 135, 14240.

Understanding aqueous solution processes of Hafnium pre-nucleation clusters for oxide thin film formation

248th National Meeting (2014)

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