The molecular doping (MD) process is based on the deposition of dopant-containing molecules over the surface of a semiconductor substrate, followed by the thermal diffusion step. Previous studies suggest that, during the deposition, the molecules nucleate clusters, and at prolonged deposition times, they grow into self-assembled layers on the sample to be doped. Little is known about the influence of nucleation kinetics on the final properties of these layers and how they change when we modify the solution properties. In this work, we examine the nucleation rate and the molecular surface coverage kinetics of diethyl-propyl phosphonate on silicon at different solution concentrations and how these conditions influence the final electrical properties of the doped samples. We present a high-resolution morphological characterization of the as-deposited molecules together with the electrical results of the final doped samples. The experimental results show a non-obvious behavior, explained through understanding of the competition between the molecules' physisorption and chemisorption mechanisms. As a consequence, due to the deeper knowledge of the deposition phase, a finer tuning of the conductive properties of MD-doped samples is achieved.
Keywords: liquid phase deposition; molecular doping; nucleation; nucleus capture zone; self-assembly; sheet resistance; surface treatments.