Engineering Materials and Interfaces With Plasma-Enhanced ALD : Toward Energy and Environmental Solutions

Abstract

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) enables atomic-scale interface engineering by combining saturation-limited growth with non-equilibrium plasma chemistry. This review examines how plasma–surface interactions control composition, defect density, and interfacial energetics across energy and environmental technologies. In photocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry, PE-ALD regulates nucleation and heterojunction formation, governing charge separation and transport. In water treatment, it enables sub-nanometer tuning of pore structure and surface chemistry, linking interfaces to selective transport and fouling resistance. In piezoelectric and thermoelectric systems, it provides low-temperature control of crystallographic orientation and interfacial coupling. This versatility across oxides, nitrides, and polymeric substrates expands the accessible design space beyond thermal processes.