ISO 19383:2026

Atomic layer deposition — Chemical characteristics and related process specifications of atomic layer deposition precursors

This document defines the chemical characteristics and related process specifications of atomic layer deposition precursors, including assay content, metal purity and anion content specification.

Dépôt de couches atomiques — Caractéristiques chimiques et spécifications de processus associées des précurseurs pour le dépôt de couches atomiques

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-May-2026
• ICS: 25.220.01 - Surface treatment and coating in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 107 - Metallic and other inorganic coatings
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 107/WG 5 - Atomic layer deposition
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 01-Jun-2026
• Due Date: 24-May-2027
• Completion Date: 01-Jun-2026

Overview

ISO 19383:2026 - Atomic layer deposition - Chemical characteristics and related process specifications of atomic layer deposition precursors is an international standard developed by ISO for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) industry. This document establishes the chemical characteristics and process specifications required for ALD precursors, ensuring consistency and high-quality results in thin film deposition technologies. It outlines key parameters such as assay content, metal purity, and anion content, critical for precise and reliable ALD processing in advanced manufacturing fields.

Key Topics

• ALD Precursor Classification: The standard classifies ALD precursors according to their chemical nature, covering both metal and non-metal types. This helps manufacturers and users select the right precursors based on application requirements and material compatibility.
• Assay Content: Defines the methods for determining the quantitative content of a substance in precursors, which is vital for guaranteeing the intended chemical composition.
• Metal Purity: Specifies procedures for evaluating the purity of metal content in precursors, detailing acceptable impurity levels to minimize potential defects in resultant films.
• Anion Content: Sets guidelines for measuring anion impurities, with a focus on halide (especially chlorine) concentrations that could impact device performance.
• Test Methods: Includes recommended analytical techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and ion chromatography (IC).

Applications

Atomic layer deposition is a cornerstone in the fabrication of advanced electronic and optical devices due to its ability to produce ultra-thin, conformal coatings with atomic-level thickness control. ISO 19383:2026 supports the following applications:

• Semiconductor Manufacturing: Ensures that ALD precursors meet strict purity and composition requirements essential for producing defect-free, high-performance semiconductor devices.
• Photovoltaics: Assists in the development of high-efficiency solar cells by regulating precursor quality for consistent thin film formation.
• Flexible Electronics & MEMS: Beneficial for industries requiring high uniformity and reproducibility in micro-electromechanical systems and flexible display technologies.
• Catalysis & Optoelectronics: Provides guidance for selecting suitable precursors to achieve precise film composition and quality in catalytic converters, LEDs, and sensing components.
• Research & Development: Offers a reference framework for academic and industrial research into new ALD chemistries and processes.

By establishing uniform criteria for precursor evaluation, the standard helps reduce variability across the ALD supply chain, supports qualification of new precursor grades, and facilitates international collaboration and product acceptance.

Related Standards

• ISO 8181 - Atomic layer deposition - Vocabulary: Provides terminology for the ALD field, supporting consistent communication across stakeholders.
• Related IPC and IEC standards: Cover electronic materials integrity, process chemistry, and purity analysis procedures relevant to nanotechnology and microelectronics.
• ISO/TC 107 Standards: The technical committee responsible for metallic and other inorganic coatings, offering additional guidance on coating technologies.

Using ISO 19383:2026 in conjunction with these related standards helps organizations maintain quality assurance, meet regulatory requirements, and accelerate innovation in precision thin film technologies.

Practical Value

Adhering to ISO 19383:2026 enables manufacturers, suppliers, and end-users of ALD precursors to:

• Achieve higher film quality and uniformity in deposited layers.
• Reduce defects and improve device reliability.
• Streamline procurement and quality control processes with internationally recognized specifications.
• Support the scalability of ALD processes in emerging applications and industries.

For further information and access to the full text, visit iso.org.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 19383
First edition
Atomic layer deposition — Chemical
2026-06
characteristics and related process
specifications of atomic layer
deposition precursors
Dépôt de couches atomiques — Caractéristiques chimiques et
spécifications de processus associées des précurseurs pour le
dépôt de couches atomiques
Reference number
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Classification of ALD precursors . 2
4.1 General .2
4.2 Common ALD precursors for metals .2
4.3 Common ALD precursors for non-metals .3
5 Purity tests . 4
5.1 Assay test .4
5.1.1 General .4
5.1.2 Metal-organic precursors . .4
5.1.3 Non-metal precursors .5
5.2 Metal purity (N values) .5
5.3 Anion content .6
Annex A (informative) Precursor purity vs. ALD growth rate . 8
Annex B (informative) Precursor purity vs. ALD film uniformity .11

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
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with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
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Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
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For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 107, Metallic and other inorganic coatings.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
Advances in nanotechnology have led to higher requirements for thin film deposition technology. Atomic
layer deposition (ALD) technology has broad application prospects in the field of photovoltaic, semiconductor,
flexible electronics, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), catalysis and optical devices, etc., with its
unique advantages, such as precise and controllable film thickness, excellent uniformity and good step
coverage.
ALD precursors are critical to film quality and performance. The continuous expansion of precursors
provides more options for the preparation of high-quality films with specific needs in terms of composition,
uniformity, step coverage and electrical properties. In the absence of a standard to regulate ALD precursor
grades, the industry has not formed a unified standard for the purity detection and quality control of the
precursors, leading to various criteria of precursor qualities. This document provides an evaluation index and
testing methods of ALD precursors to serve the rising demand of the ALD market. This document provides
standards, methods and regulations to the ALD field internationally, including precursor development and
production, process exploration and application development in both industry and academia.

v
International Standard ISO 19383:2026(en)
Atomic layer deposition — Chemical characteristics and
related process specifications of atomic layer deposition
precursors
1 Scope
This document defines the chemical characteristics and related process specifications of atomic layer
deposition precursors, including assay content, metal purity and anion content specification.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 8181, Atomic layer deposition — Vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 8181 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
precursor
reaction source used in atomic layer deposition process
3.2
assay
quantitative content (by moles) of a substance in a product
3.3
metal purity
percentage of metal content (by weight) after subtracting the sum of all the metal impurities from 100 %
3.4
anion content
percentage of negatively charged ions (by weight)
3.5
film uniformity
variation in film properties, particularly the thickness, across the surface of a flat substrate

4 Classification of ALD precursors
4.1 General
ALD precursors can be classified based on various criteria, including chemical nature, types of film formed,
substrate compatibility, reactivity and application specificity. However, the procedure to test the purity of
the ALD precursor is mainly based on whether it has metal atom(s) or not. Therefore, in this document, ALD
precursors are classified based on their chemical nature.
4.2 Common ALD precursors for metals
The choice of precursor depends on factors such as the desired film properties, chemical reactivity, volatility
and thermal stability. The common class of ALD precursors includes metal halides, hydrides, alkoxides,
beta-diketonates, alkylimides, alkylamides, amidinates, alkyls and cyclopentadienyls. Table 1 shows the
classification of the common ALD precursors for metals.
Table 1 — Classification of the common ALD precursors for metals
Class Suitable metals Examples
HfCl (Hafnium tetrachloride)
Metal halide Hf, Ti, Al, Zr, Ta, Nb, Mo, W TiCl (Titanium tetrachloride)
AlCl (Aluminum trichloride)
Metal hydride Ge and Sn GeH (Germane), SnH (Stannane)
4 4
C H O Ti /TTIP (Titanium tetraisopropoxide)
12 28 4
t
Metal alkoxide Ti, Li, Ta C H LiO/LiO Bu (Lithium tert-butoxide)
4 9
C H O Ta/Ta(OEt) (Tantalum(V) ethoxide)
10 25 5 5
C H F O Pd/Pd(hfac) (Palladium(II) hexafluoro-
10 2 12 4 2
acetylacetonate)
C H F O Cu/Cu(HFAC) (Copper (II) hexafluoro-
10 2 12 4 2
acetylacetonate)
Metal beta-diketonate Pd, Cu, Rh, La
C H O Rh/Rh(acac) (Rhodium(III) 2,4-pentanedi-
15 21 6 3
onate)
C H O La/La(thd) (Tris (2,2,6,6-tetrame-
33 57 6 3
thyl-3,5-heptanedionato)lanthanum)
C H N Nb/TBTDEN [Tris(diethylamino)(tert-bu-
16 39 4
tylimino)niobium]
C H N Ta/TBTEMT [Tris (ethylmethylamino)
13 33 4
Metal alkylimide Nb, Ta, W, Mo
(tert-butylimino)tantalum]
C H N W/BTBMW [Bis(tert-butylimino)bis(di-
12 30 4
methylamino)tungsten]
C H N Zr/TEMAZ
12 32 4
[Tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)Zirconium]
Metal alkylamide Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, Mo, W, Sn, Sb, Ge
C H N Ti/TDEAT [Tetrakis(diethylamino)titani-
16 40 4
um]
C H N Sn/TDMASn [Tetrakis(dimethylamido)tin]
8 24 4
TTabablele 1 1 ((ccoonnttiinnueuedd))
Class Suitable metals Examples
C H LaN /La(FAMD) [Tris(N,N'-di-i-propylforma-
21 45 6 3
midinato)lanthanum]
Metal amidinate La, Ce, Co, Ni, Cu, Mn
i
C H CoN /Co( Pr-amd) [Bis(N,N'-diisopropy-
16 34 4 2
lacetamidinato) cobalt]
C H Zn/DEZ [Diethylzinc]
4 10
Metal alkyls Zn, Al, Ga, In, Cd, Pb, Sn C H Al/TMA [Trimethylaluminum]
3 9
C H Sn/SnEt [Tetraethyltin]
8 20 4
i
C H La/La( PrCp) [Tris (isopropylcyclopentadie-
24 33 3
nyl)lanthanum]
C H N Zr/CpZr [Cyclopentadienyl tris (dimethyl-
11 23 3
Metal cyclopentadienyl La, Ce, Y, Zr, Hf, Ni, Co, Fe
amino)cyclopentadienylzirconium]
C H Ni/Ni(MeCp) [Bis(methylcyclopentadienyl)
12 14 2
nickel]
4.3 Common ALD precursors for non-metals
For non-metallic ALD coatings, precursors for non-metal generally refer to silicon, boron, arsenic, selenium,
phosphorus, tellurium, etc. Table 2 summarizes the common ALD precursors for non-metals.
Table 2 — Classification of the typical ALD precursors for non-metals
Non-metals Class Examples
SiH [Silane]
Hydride
Si H [Disilane]
2 6
Silicon
SiH Cl /DCS [Dichlorosilane]
2 2
Halide Si Cl /HCDS [Hexachlorodisilane]
2 6
SiH I /DIS [Diiodosilane]
2 2
C H N Si/BDEAS [Bis(diethylamino)silane]
8 22 2
C H N Si/DIPAS [Diisopropylaminosialne]
6 16 2
— Alkylamide
C H N Si /BDIPADS [1,2-Bis(diisopropyl-
12 32 2 2
amino)disilane]
C H O Si/TEOS [Tetraethyl orthosilicate]
8 20 4
— Alkoxide
C H O Si/TMOS [Tetramethyl orthosili-
4 12 4
cate]
C H AsN /TDMAAs [Tris(dimethylamino)
6 18 3
Alkylamide
arsenic]
Arsenic
Hydride AsH [Arsine]
Hydride B H [Diborane]
2 6
Boron
BCl [Boron trichloride]
Halide
BBr [Boron tribromide]
C H BN /TDMAB [Tris(dimethylamino)
6 18 3
borane]
— Alkylamide
C H BN /TEMAB [Tris(ethylmethylamino)
9 24 3
borane]
— Alkoxide C H BO /B(OMe) [Trimethyl borate]
3 9 3 3
TTabablele 2 2 ((ccoonnttiinnueuedd))
Non-metals Class Examples
Hydride PH [Phosphine]
PCl [Phosphorus trichloride]
Halide
POCl [Phosphorus(V) oxychloride]
C H N P/P(NMe ) [Tris(dimethylamino)
6 18 3 2 3
Phosphorus Alkylamide
phosphine]
C H O P/P(OMe) [Trimethyl phosphite]
3 9 3 3
Alkoxide
C H O P/PO(OEt) [Triethyl phosphate]
6 15 4 3
t
Alkyls C H P/ BuPH [t-butylphosphine]
4 11 2
C H Se/Et Se [Diethyl selenide]
4 10 2
Alkyls
C H Se/Me Se [Dimethyl selenide]
2 6 2
Hydride H Se [Dihydrogen selenide]
Selenium
C H SeSi /(Me Si) Se [Bis(trimethylsilyl)
6 18 2 3 2
selenide]
Alkylsilyls
C H SeSi /(Et Si) Se [Bis(triethylsilyl)
12 30 2 3 2
selenide]
C H Te/Et Te [Diethyl telluride]
4 10 2
Alkyls
C H18Te/(tBu) Te [Di-tert-butyl Telluride]
8 2
Alkoxide C H O Te/Te(OEt) [Tellurium ethoxide]
8 20 4 4
Tellurium
C H TeSi /(Me Si) Te [Bis(trimethylsilyl)
6 18 2 3 2
tellurium]
Alkylsilyls
C H TeSi /(Et Si) Te [Bis(triethylsilyl)
12 30 2 3 2
tellurium]
5 Purity tests
5.1 Assay test
5.1.1 General
The purity of ALD precursors is crucial to film quality and performance. As specified in Annex A, the ALD
growth rate is affected by the precursor purity; higher purity always leads to higher growth rate. Similarly,
the effect of precursor purity on film uniformity is described in Annex B.
Assay indicates the chemical purity of the products, i.e. the percentage of target material in the product.
The assay is usually measured by techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
5.1.2 Metal-organic precursors
For most metal-organic precursors, the assay is determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR),
supplemented by TGA. In the H-NMR measurement, the sample is excited in the magnetic field into NMR,
producing NMR signals.
...