Atomic Layer Deposition of Cobalt, Nickel, and Iron Sulfides: Synthesis and Applications

Recent development on the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of CoSx, NiSx, and FeSx is presented. The sulfides are deposited by using metal amidinates as the metal precursors and H2S as the sulfur source. Ideal saturated, self-limiting growth behaviors are observed for all these ALD processes, and the deposited sulfide films are able to uniformly and conformally cover deep narrow trenches with high aspect ratio of 10:1. Examples of using these ALD processes to synthesize CoSx, NiSx, and FeSx thin films for the respective applications in supercapacitors, electrocatalysis, and chemical catalysis are also presented.