Reversible Tuning of Surface Chemical Reactivity in Thin Solid Films

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With the support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry program, Professor Teplyakov and coworkers in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delaware will establish a novel strategy to control chemical and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces formed during deposition of thin solid films. Due to the importance of thin solid films in a wide variety of applications (ranging from coating technology to circuit fabrication), this approach will provide a platform for further improvement of such processes. Promoting and suppressing certain surface reactions during and after the deposition will yield a controllable surface elemental composition, while this composition together with surface functionalization will provide a tunable chemical response, which is important at different stages of film production. An inherent advantage of this fundamental, molecular-level approach is that the insight obtained from the investigation can be projected towards other applications not fully developed at present, such as molecular electronics and hybrid organic/inorganic devices. The fundamental premise is based on understanding the effects of the chemical functionality of surfaces pretreated for film growth and of the surfaces of films produced on the reactivity with respect to further desired chemical process. The major conceptual difference from traditional approaches to surface functionalization is in understanding the effects of the surface on the reactivity of these functional groups. Most of the work will focus on the semiconductor surfaces and films used in microelectronics but the findings of this research will be extended towards manipulation of other systems. Students at all levels will be involved in the effort, and Professor Teplyakov will establish a university wide mentoring program for graduate and postdoctoral students interested in academic careers.With the continued reduction in the size of our electronic devices, new and more efficient materials must be developed to serve as insulating barriers between metallic conductors and semiconductors. This project will examine the fundamental mechanisms of the formation and growth of very thin layers made of titanium and tantalum carbide and nitride compounds. These materials offer many advantages for barriers in integrated circuits, and this study will help in the development of next generation microelectronic devices.