Optimizing the Atomic Layer Deposition of Alumina on Perovskite Nanocrystal Films by Using O-2 As a Molecular Probe

Encapsulation methods have shown to be effective in imparting improved stability to metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs). Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of metal oxides is one of the promising approaches for such encapsulation, yet better control on the process parameters are required to achieve viable lifetimes for several optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications. Herein, we optimize the ALD process of amorphous aluminum oxide (AlOx) as an encapsulating layer for CsPbBr3 NC thin films by using oxygen (O-2) as a molecular diffusion probe to assess the uniformity of the deposited AlOx layer. When O-2 reaches the NC surface, it extracts the photogenerated electrons, thus quenching the PL of the CsPbBr3 NCs. As the quality of the ALD layer improves, less quenching is expected. We compare three different ALD deposition modes. We find that the low temperature/high temperature and the exposure modes improve the quality of the alumina as a gas barrier when compared with the low temperature mode. We attribute this result to a better diffusion of the ALD precursor throughout the NC film. We propose the low temperature/high temperature as the most suitable mode for future implementation of multilayered coatings.