AtomicLimits ImageBase
Welcome to the AtomicLimits ImageBase! With this library we hope to facilitate the re-use of images for e.g. presentations. You can conveniently use the tags to filter images by category.
About image rights
The user is solely responsible for proper conduct with respect to image use and referencing and, if applicable, should rely on the information provided by the original source. If you do use one of the images, please make a proper reference to the original author/source. Most images are accompanied with a short exemplary credit line. Also take notice of the Creative Commons licenses, if mentioned. The various license types can be found here. Note that “adapted from” implies the presented image is inspired by or a variant of the referenced image.
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- Conformality
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- Spatial ALD
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- Timeline
A timeline displaying the history of atomic layer deposition (ALD). (2024 edition)
A timeline highlighting the applications of ALD in high-volume manufacturing.
Electron temperature vs. electron density plot including EUV lithography plasmas
EUV lithography system with laser-produced plasma and EUV-induced plasma
Timeline of Isotropic ALE publications
Nicholas Chittock, AVS ALD/ALE conference, ALE Student Award Presentation 2020 (updated 10/17/23)
Timeline of Anisotropic ALE publications
Nicholas Chittock, AVS ALD/ALE conference, ALE Student Award Presentation 2020 (updated 10/17/23)
Anric Technologies Ad 1 (300x300) (1)
A representation of a hypothetical process flow that is used to fabricate semiconductor devices.
See our blog on plasma processing
Contour map illustrating the potential influence of the supplied ion dose and ion energy on the growth behavior during plasma ALD.
Karsten Arts et al, Foundations of atomic-level plasma processing in nanoelectronics, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 31 103002 (2022), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/ac95bc
Schematic illustration of a 3D NAND memory device and the processes used to fabricate specific structures of the device.
Karsten Arts et al, Foundations of atomic-level plasma processing in nanoelectronics, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 31 103002 (2022), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/ac95bc
Trends and challenges in the fabrication of present-day nanoeletronics.
Karsten Arts et al, Foundations of atomic-level plasma processing in nanoelectronics, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 31 103002 (2022), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/ac95bc
Applications for which surface passivation layers are relevant.
Willem-Jan Berghuis, PhD dissertation: Nanolayers for germanium surface passivation prepared by atomic layer deposition and chemical vapor deposition, ISBN: 978-90-386-5576-5 (2022)
Anric Technologies
ALD tools in NanoLab@TU/e cleanroom
Erwin Kessels, AtomicLimits (2022)
Kurt J. Lesker
Hiden Analytical
STREM Chemicals, Inc.
Schemes for thermal ALE of an oxide material
Martin McBriarty, Atomic Layer Etch Carves the Path to More Efficient Computing, AtomicLimits (2022)
ALE approach for large crystallites in thin films
Martin McBriarty, Atomic Layer Etching Carves the Path to More Efficient Computing, AtomicLimits (2022)
Scheme for a typical thermal ALE cycle of a metal or alloy.
Martin McBriarty, Atomic Layer Etching Carves the Path to More Efficient Computing, AtomicLimits (2022)
Kinetic control of ALE processes
Martin McBriarty, Atomic Layer Etch Carves the Path to More Efficient Computing, AtomicLimits (2022)
Erwin Kessels, ALD from an application perspective, AtomicLimits (2022)
Erwin Kessels, ALD from an application perspective, AtomicLimits (2022)
Erwin Kessels, ALD from an application perspective, AtomicLimits (2022)
Erwin Kessels, ALD from an application perspective, AtomicLimits (2022)
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (HAADF-STEM and EDS)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (all trenches)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (trenches H, I, J, K)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (trenches F, G, H)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (trenches D, E)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (trenches C, D)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (trench B)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
Conformal deposition of SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 by plasma ALD (trench A)
K. Arts, M.A. Verheijen, W.M.M. Kessels and H.C.M Knoops (CC BY 4.0 license), image library at www.AtomicLimits.com, 2021. Corresponding paper DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00781
ALD cycle types
Harm Knoops, AtomicLimits image library (2020). A similar figure to this figure was published in: Harm Knoops, Atomic Layer Deposition in Handbook of Crystal Growth, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63304-0.00027-5
Merits of ALD
Harm Knoops, AtomicLimits image library (2020). A similar figure to this figure was published in: Harm Knoops, Atomic Layer Deposition in Handbook of Crystal Growth, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63304-0.00027-5
ALD cycle schematic
Harm Knoops, AtomicLimits image library (2020). A similar figure to this figure was published in: Harm Knoops, Atomic Layer Deposition in Handbook of Crystal Growth, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63304-0.00027-5
ALD reactors
Harm Knoops, AtomicLimits image library (2020). A similar figure to this figure was published in: Harm Knoops, Atomic Layer Deposition in Handbook of Crystal Growth, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63304-0.00027-5
Surface- and flux-controlled growth
Harm Knoops, AtomicLimits image library (2020). A similar figure to this figure was published in: Harm Knoops, Atomic Layer Deposition in Handbook of Crystal Growth, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63304-0.00027-5
Timeline of ALE publications
Nicholas Chittock, AVS ALD/ALE conference, ALE Student Award Presentation 2020 (updated 11/12/20)
InterMolecular
Nucleation
Illustration showing how selective etching steps can be employed as corrections step for defect formation during area-selective ALD to achieve a high selectivity. Mackus et al., Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 2−12
Self-Aligned Deposition
Schematic illustration of how (a) convential patterning leads to edge placement errors, (b) area-selective ALD can be employed for self-aligned processing. Mackus et al., Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 2−12
Strategy ASD
Schematic illustration of our strategy for area-selective ALD: using functionalization and etching steps in advanced ALD cycles to achieve high selectivity. Mackus et al., Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 2−12
Area-selective ALD of TiN
False color TEM image of area-selective TiN ALD on a nanoscale pattern. Merkx et al., Chem. Mater. 2020, 32, 7788−7795
Advanced ALD cycles
Schematic overview of conventional and advanced area-selective ALD processes. Mackus et al., Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 2−12
Lego: area-selective ALD
Representation of how area-selective ALD uses atoms as building blocks for bottom-up processing , used as journal cover, Chem. Mater. 2020 32 (8)
ABC-type ALD process
Schematic illustration of the ABC-type ALD approach for area-selective ALD using small inhibitor molecules. In step A, the inhibitor molecules are dosed and selectively adsorb on the nongrowth area. In step B, the precursor molecules are dosed and are blocked from adsorption on the non-growth area by the inhibitor molecules. Finally, the inhibitor molecules and the precursor ligands are removed by the co-reactant in step C. Merkx et al., Chem. Mater. 2020, 32, 3335−3345
Fully Self-Aligned Vias
(a) Edge placement error (EPE) in interconnect fabrication. Due to the reduced spacing to the neighboring line, shorts can occur. (b) FSAV scheme based on recess etching. (c) FSAV scheme based on area-selective ALD. A.J.M. Mackus, M.J.M. Merkx. Fully Self-Aligned Vias: The Killer Application for Area-Selective ALD? – A Discussion of the Requirements for Implementation in High Volume Manufacturing. 2019, 7. AtomicLimits.
Reaction-limited growth schematic
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
Diffusion-limited growth schematic
Karsten Arts, adapted from “Film Conformality and Extracted Recombination Probabilities of O Atoms during Plasma-Assisted Atomic Layer Deposition of SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, and HfO2”, J. Phys. Chem. C 123, 27030–27035 (2019). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b08176, CC-BY-NC-ND
Oxford Instruments
Reactor figures
Harm Knoops, Status and prospects of plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition, JVSTA, 37, 030902 (2019), DOI: 10.1116/1.5088582. CC BY
Timeline plasma ALD publications
Harm Knoops, Status and prospects of plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition, JVSTA, 37, 030902 (2019), DOI: 10.1116/1.5088582. CC BY
Processes in ALD
Harm Knoops, Status and prospects of plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition, JVSTA, 37, 030902 (2019), DOI: 10.1116/1.5088582. CC BY
Generalized ALD and ALE cycle
Tahsin Faraz et al. Atomic layer etching: what can we learn from atomic layer deposition? DOI: 10.1149/2.0051506jss. CC BY-ND
Approaches for thin-film deposition
Tahsin Faraz et al. Atomic layer etching: what can we learn from atomic layer deposition? DOI: 10.1149/2.0051506jss CC BY-ND
High-throughput variants of ASP
Tahsin Faraz et al. Atomic layer etching: what can we learn from atomic layer deposition? DOI: 10.1149/2.0051506jss. CC BY-ND
Recombination-limited growth animation
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
Overview of Atomic Scale Processing
Erwin Kessels, The dawn of atomic-scale processing – The growing importance of atomic layer deposition and etching, Atomic Limits (2017)
Reaction-limited growth animation
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
Diffusion-limited growth animation
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
Diffusion-limited growth: influence sticking probability
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
ALE timeline
Erwin Kessels, Atomic layer etching turns 32.5 years old! – A good occasion to share an ALE timeline and an animated version of the ALE periodic table, Atomic Limits blog (2020)
Temporal ALD versus spatial ALD
Illustration of temporal and spatial ALD process - Vincent Vandalon
Conformal MoS2 on a trench
Conformal MoS2 on the corner of a trench. Plasma ALD of MoO3 was performed at 150 °C with subsequent sulfurization at 850 °C in an oven to obtain the MoS2 phase as shown by the planes. Credit: Sharma et al., PhD Thesis (2018).
Effects of substrate biasing
Faraz et al., DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b00183, CC BY-NC-ND
Al doped MoS2 grown by ALD
Vincent Vandalon, adapted from "Atomic Layer Deposition of Al-Doped MoS2: Synthesizing a p-type 2D Semiconductor with Tunable Carrier Density " ACS Appl. Nano Mater. DOI:10.1021/acsanm.0c02167
Recombination-limited growth: influence sticking probability
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
Adsorption, recombination and reflection
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
ALD conformality: reaction probabilities and surface coverage
Karsten Arts, Basic insights into ALD conformality – A closer look at ALD and thin film conformality, AtomicLimits (2020)
Surface coverage and saturation
Karsten Arts, adapted from “Film Conformality and Extracted Recombination Probabilities of O Atoms during Plasma-Assisted Atomic Layer Deposition of SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, and HfO2”, J. Phys. Chem. C 123, 27030–27035 (2019). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b08176. CC-BY-NC-ND
Radical recombination and film conformality
Karsten Arts, Understanding plasma ALD – Why ions matter... and should be considered!, AtomicLimits (2020)
Plasma ALD cycle simplified schematic
Karsten Arts, Understanding plasma ALD – Why ions matter... and should be considered!, AtomicLimits (2020)
Plasma ALD cycle simplified schematic – with and without ions
Karsten Arts, Understanding plasma ALD – Why ions matter... and should be considered!, AtomicLimits (2020)
Plasma ALD of SiO2: influence of ion energy dose
Karsten Arts, adapted from “Evidence for low-energy ions influencing plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of SiO2: Impact on the growth per cycle and wet etch rate (Supplementary Material)”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 117, 031602 (2020). DOI: 10.1063/5.0015379
Plasma ALD of SiO2: film conformality and influence of ions
Karsten Arts, images (left) adapted from J. Phys. Chem. C 123, 27030–27035 (2019). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b08176 and data (right) adapted from Appl. Phys. Lett. 117, 031602 (2020). DOI: 10.1063/5.0015379
PE-ALD grown MoS2
Akhil Sharma et al. Adapted from Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 8615-8627 DOI: 10.1039/C8NR02339E
Reaction mechanism thermal ALD Al2O3
Vincent Vandalon and Erwin Kessels, Adapted from JVST-A 35, 05C313 (2017); DOI: 10.1116/1.4993597
ALD MoOx In2O3:H hole-selective contact
Bart Macco, adapted from "Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of MoOx for silicon heterojunction solar cells", Phys. Status Solidi – Rapid Res. Lett. 9 (2015) 393–396. DOI: 10.1002/pssr.201510117.
ALD TiOx electron-selective contact
Bart Macco, adapted from "Explorative studies of novel silicon surface passivation materials : Considerations and lessons learned", Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells. 188 (2018) 182–189. DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2018.07.003.
Poly-Si passivating contact with ALD Al2O3
Bart Macco, adapted from "On the hydrogenation of Poly-Si passivating contacts by Al2O3 and SiNx thin films", Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells. 215 (2020) 110592. DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110592
ALD 4 Self-aligned quadruple patterning
Harm Knoops, Status and prospects of plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition, JVSTA, 37, 030902 (2019), DOI: 10.1116/1.5088582
SEM image of pyramid texture on silicon solar cell
Bas van de Loo, Atomic-layer-deposited surface passivation schemes for silicon solar cells, PhD thesis TU Eindhoven (2017)
Silicon Solar Cell in Cleanroom
Bart van Overbeeke photography
Close-up of c-Si solar cell
Bart van Overbeeke fotografie
ALD Temperature window
Martijn Vos, Atomic Layer Deposition Process Development – 10 steps to successfully develop, optimize and characterize ALD recipes, AtomicLimits (2019)
Thickness control in ALD and ALE
Erwin Kessels, #ALDALE2019 – A preview of my “ALD Innovator Award” plenary presentation at the 19th International Conference on Atomic Layer Deposition, Atomic Limits (2019)
Schematic of ALD and ALE
Erwin Kessels, after Faraz et al., ECS J. Solid State Sci. and Technol., 4 (6) N5023 (2015))
Key features of ALD and ALE
Erwin Kessels, after Faraz et al., ECS J. Solid State Sci. and Technol., 4 (6) N5023 (2015))
Timeline: silicon passivation layers
Bart Macco, ALD for crystalline silicon solar cells: Innovate at the nanoscale,deploy at the gigawatt scale, NEVAC special issue on ALD (june 2020)
Al-BSF silicon solar cell
Bart Macco, What can Atomic Layer Deposition do for solar cells?, Atomic Limits blog (2019)
PERC silicon solar cell
Bart Macco, What can Atomic Layer Deposition do for solar cells?, Atomic Limits blog (2019)
Silicon heterojunction solar cell
Bart Macco, What can Atomic Layer Deposition do for solar cells?, Atomic Limits blog (2019)
TOPCon silicon solar cell
Bart Macco, What can Atomic Layer Deposition do for solar cells?, Atomic Limits blog (2019)
Si-perovskite tandem solar cell
Bart Macco, What can Atomic Layer Deposition do for solar cells?, Atomic Limits blog (2019)
Anisotropic vs isotropic ALE
Erwin Kessels, Atomic layer etching turns 32.5 years old! – A good occasion to share an ALE timeline and an animated version of the ALE periodic table, Atomic Limits blog (2020)
ALD Timeline
Erwin Kessels, ALD turns 45: the history of ALD in a timeline and an animated version of the ALD periodic table, Atomic Limits blog (2019)
3D FinFET
3D GAA FET