In situ characterization of atomic layer deposition processes by a mass spectrometer

In situ characterization of the chemical reactions in atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes in flow-type reactors is an important and challenging task. For this purpose, a quadrupole mass spectrometer has been integrated to an ALD reactor. The special features of this setup are described and its performance is demonstrated by studies on ALD oxide processes employing Al(CH3)3, Ti(OC2H5)4, Ta(OC2H5)5 and Nb(OC2H5)5 as metal precursors and water as the oxygen source