Catalytic surface reactions during nucleation and growth of atomic layer deposition of noble metals : a case study for platinum

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of noble metals has attracted much attention in recent years for the deposition of thin metal films, as well as for the synthesis of supported metallic nanoparticles. Noble metal surfaces and nanoparticles possess catalytic activity for dissociation of metalorganic precursor and O2 molecules, which has important consequences for the reaction mechanisms of ALD. In this work, a case study is presented with respect to the importance of catalytic surface reactions during the nucleation and growth of Pt ALD, which serves as a model system for the growth of other noble metals by ALD. It is illustrated that atomic level understanding of these processes is vital for the development of novel nanopatterning and nanoparticle synthesis approaches