Dielectric barrier layer films
View Patent ↗In accordance with the present invention, a dielectric barrier layer is presented. A barrier layer according to the present invention includes a densified amorphous dielectric layer deposited on a substrate by pulsed-DC, substrate biased physical vapor deposition, wherein the densified amorphous dielectric layer is a barrier layer. A method of forming a barrier layer according to the present inventions includes providing a substrate and depositing a highly densified, amorphous, dielectric material over the substrate in a pulsed-dc, biased, wide target physical vapor deposition process. Further, the process can include performing a soft-metal breath treatment on the substrate. Such barrier layers can be utilized as electrical layers, optical layers, immunological layers, or tribological layers.
1. A barrier structure, comprising:
a densified amorphous dielectric layer deposited on a substrate by pulsed-DC, substrate biased physical vapor deposition,
wherein the densified amorphous dielectric layer is a barrier layer, and
wherein a water vapor transmission rate through the barrier layer is less than about 1×10 −2 gm/m 2 /day when the barrier layer has a thickness of about 1.5 KÅ.
2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is also an optical layer.
3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer includes a TiO 2 layer.
4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer includes an Alumina/Silica layer.
5. The structure of claim 2 , further including a soft-metal breath treatment.
6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the soft-metal breath treatment is an indium-tin vapor treatment.
7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is also an electrical layer.
8. The structure of claim 7 , wherein the barrier layer includes a capacitive layer.
9. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the capacitive layer is a TiO 2 layer.
10. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the capacitive layer is an Alumina/silica layer.
11. The structure of claim 7 , wherein the barrier layer includes a resistive layer.
12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the resistive layer is indium-tin metal or oxide.
13. The structure of claim 7 , further including a soft-metal breath treatment.
14. The structure of claim 13 , wherein the soft-metal breath treatment is an indium-tin vapor treatment.
15. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer includes a tribological layer.
16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the tribological layer is a TiO 2 layer.
17. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the tribological layer is Alumina/silica.
18. The structure of claim 15 , further including a soft-metal breath treatment.
19. The structure of claim 18 , wherein the soft-metal breath treatment is an indium-tin vapor treatment.
20. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is a biologically immune compatible layer.
21. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the biologically immune compatible layer is TiO 2 .
22. The structure of claim 20 , further including a soft-metal breath treatment.
23. The structure of claim 22 , wherein the soft-metal breath treatment is an indium-tin vapor treatment.
24. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is TiO 2 .
25. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a target utilized to form the barrier layer has a concentration of 92% Al and 8% Si.
26. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a target utilized to form the barrier layer is formed from metallic magnesium.
27. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a target material utilized to form the barrier layer comprises materials chosen from a group consisting of Mg, Ta, Ti, Al, Y, Zr, Si, Hf, Ba, Sr, Nb, and combinations thereof.
28. The structure of claim 27 , wherein the target material includes a concentration of rare earth metal.
29. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a target material utilized to form the barrier layer comprises a sub-oxide of a group consisting of Mg, Ta, Ti, Al, Y, Zr, Si, Hf, Ba, Sr, Nb, and combinations thereof.
30. The structure of claim 1 , further including a soft-metal breath treatment.
31. The structure of claim 30 , wherein the soft-metal breath treatment is an indium-tin vapor treatment.
32. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric film has a permeable defect concentration of less than about 1 per square centimeter.
33. The structure of claim 1 , wherein an optical attenuation through the barrier layer is less than about 0.1 dB/cm in a continuous film.
34. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer has a thickness less than about 500 nm.
35. The structure of claim 34 , wherein the water vapor transmission rate is less than about 1×10 −2 gm/m 2 /day.
36. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the barrier layer is less than about 1 micron and a water vapor transmission rate through the barrier layer is less than about 1×10 −2 gm/m 2 /day.
37. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer operates as a gate oxide for a thin film transistor.
38. The dielectric layer of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is an electrical layer.
39. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is also an optical layer.
40. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer includes a TiO 2 layer.
41. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer includes an Alumina/Silica layer.
42. The structure of claim 1 , wherein an optical attenuation though the barrier layer is less than about 0.1 dB/cm in a continuous film.
43. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer has a thickness less than about 500 nm.
44. The structure of claim 1 , further including a soft-metal at the interface between the barrier layer and the substrate.