Deposition of oxide thin films
Methods are provided herein for deposition of oxide films. Oxide films may be deposited, including selective deposition of oxide thin films on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate. For example, an oxide thin film such as an insulating metal oxide thin film may be selectively deposited on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second, different surface of the same substrate. The second, different surface may be an organic passivation layer.
1 . A reactor, comprising:
a deposition chamber for supporting a substrate;
a metal precursor source connected to the deposition chamber and configured to provide a vapor phase metal precursor;
a sole molecular oxygen (O 2 ) source connected to the deposition chamber and configured to provide molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor; and
a control system configured to control the reactor to perform operations to deposit a thin film of insulating metal oxide on the substrate, wherein the operations comprise:
supplying the vapor phase metal precursor to the deposition chamber from the metal precursor source such that the vapor phase metal precursor contacts the substrate; and
supplying the molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor to the deposition chamber from the sole molecular oxygen (O 2 ) source such that the molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor contacts the substrate.
2 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to maintain a deposition temperature to be in a range from about 225° C. to about 400° C.
3 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the thin film comprises magnesium oxide, lanthanum oxide, aluminum oxide, or hafnium oxide.
4 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the thin film comprises a transition metal oxide.
5 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the control system is further configured to control the reactor to perform the operations to selectively deposit the thin film on a first surface of the substrate relative to a second surface of the substrate.
6 . The reactor of claim 5 , wherein the control system is further configured to supply the molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor to minimize degradation of the second surface such that selective deposition from the first surface to the second surface is at least about 50% selective.
7 . The reactor of claim 5 , wherein the control system is configured to control the reactor such that the molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor contacting the substrate does not degrade or oxidize the second surface, and wherein the second surface comprises an organic species.
8 . The reactor of claim 5 , wherein the control system is configured to control the reactor such that the molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor contacting the substrate does not expose an underlying metal below the second surface, and wherein the second surface comprises an organic species.
9 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the vapor phase metal precursor comprises an organometallic compound.
10 . The reactor of claim 9 , wherein the vapor phase metal precursor comprises bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium (Mg(Cp) 2 ), lanthanum formamidinate (La(FAMD) 3 ), or tetramethylethyl alkylamide hafnium (TEMAH).
11 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
after supplying the vapor phase metal precursor, removing at least one of excess vapor phase metal precursor or reaction byproducts from the substrate.
12 . The reactor of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
after supplying the molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor, removing at least one of excess molecular oxygen (O 2 ) precursor or reaction byproducts from the substrate.
13 . The reactor of claim 5 , wherein the control system is further configured to cause the reactor to cyclically repeat the operations to selectively deposit the thin film.