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.