Methods and systems for improved deposition products
This disclosure relates to methods and systems for selective atomic layer deposition. Cycle-by-cycle post-processing of the thin film occurs during growth of the thin film, instead of conducting post-processing after completion of the thin film. Thin films with improved properties result.
1 . A method of forming a thin patterned material, the method comprising:
providing a substrate to be coated; and
repeatedly performing a cycle comprising:
exposing the substrate to a first precursor, resulting in some of the first precursor adsorbing on the substrate as an adsorbed first precursor;
exposing the substrate to a second precursor, resulting in some of the second precursor reacting with the adsorbed first precursor to form an intermediate product on the surface; and
scanning the substrate with a localized energy that is applied to the intermediate product in a specific pattern to convert a patterned portion of the intermediate product to a final product in the specific pattern, resulting in the patterned portion of the intermediate product converting to the final product with a growth-rate less than or equal to about one molecular layer of the final product per cycle,
whereby after multiple cycles a thin pattern of the final product is formed on the substrate in the specific pattern.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the final product has more crystallinity, higher density, different stress, or combinations of the foregoing, as compared to the intermediate product; wherein the final product has a different chemical composition or stoichiometry from the intermediate product; or both.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising purging unabsorbed first precursor from proximal the substrate prior to exposing the substrate to the second precursor; further comprising purging unreacted second precursor from proximal the substrate prior to scanning the substrate with the localized energy; or both.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the substrate after scanning the substrate with the localized energy.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the localized energy comprises: radiation from an infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light source; a plasma; or combinations thereof.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second precursor comprises a hydrogen source, an oxygen source, a nitrogen source, a boron source, a carbon source, or combinations thereof, and wherein the intermediate product comprises an oxide, nitride, boride, carbide, or combinations thereof.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to the second precursor comprises exposing the substrate to a plasma of the second precursor, whereby a plasma-enabled atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) reaction occurs between the first precursor and the second precursor.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the intermediate product comprises a metal oxide or metal nitride and wherein the localized energy comprises a hydrogen-containing plasma, whereby the metal oxide or metal nitride is converted to a metal by the localized energy, whereby after multiple PE-ALD reactions and localized energy cycles a thin film of a metal final product is formed on the substrate.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen-containing plasma has a lower kinetic energy than the plasma of the second precursor that results in the PE-ALD reaction.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating one or both of the first precursor and the second precursor during formation of the intermediate product, whereby a thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) reaction occurs.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the first and second precursors away from the substrate prior to scanning the substrate with the localized energy.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the final product comprises an element, a compound, or combinations thereof.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of scanning the substrate with the localized energy includes directing a laser beam toward the substrate.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the laser beam is non-continuously applied to the substrate.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the laser beam is pulsed.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the laser beam writes the specific pattern onto the substrate during each cycle to form the thin pattern of the final product.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the laser beam or the substrate, or both, are moved relative to the other during the scanning of the substrate with the localized energy.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the laser beam is emitted at a wavelength that is primarily absorbed by the substrate and/or the intermediate product, but not substantially absorbed by the first precursor or the second precursor in their gaseous phase.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning of the substrate with the localized energy in the specific pattern is performed by a printhead that emits the localized energy non-continuously while the printhead is shuttled back and forth over the substrate.
20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selectively etching the intermediate product that has not been converted to the final product, while leaving the thin pattern of the final product on the substrate.