Pretreatment processes within a batch ALD reactor

1. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate within a processing chamber, comprising:

exposing a substrate within a processing chamber to a first oxidizing gas during a pretreatment process, wherein the first oxidizing gas comprises an O 3 /O 2 mixture having an ozone concentration within a range from about 5 atomic percent to about 30 atomic percent;

exposing the substrate sequentially to a second oxidizing gas and a deposition gas during an atomic layer deposition cycle, wherein the second oxidizing gas comprises water and the deposition gas comprises a hafnium amino compound; and

repeating the atomic layer deposition cycle to form a hafnium-containing layer having a thickness within a range from about 5 Å to about 300 Å.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hafnium-containing layer comprises hafnium oxide having the chemical formula of HfO x , whereas x is about 1.8.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition gas further comprises a silicon precursor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hafnium-containing layer comprises hafnium silicate.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the silicon precursor comprises silane, disilane, or derivatives thereof.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the silicon precursor comprises an alkylamino silane.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the alkylamino silane is selected from the group consisting of tetrakis(dimethylamino) silane, tetrakis(diethylamino) silane, tris(dimethylamino) silane, tris(diethylamino) silane, and derivatives thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hafnium amino compound is tetrakis(diethylamino) hafnium, tetrakis(dimethylamino) hafnium, or tetrakis(ethylmethylamino) hafnium.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ozone concentration is within a range from about 10 atomic percent to about 20 atomic percent.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the hafnium-containing layer is within a range from about 20 Å to about 100 Å.

11. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate within a processing chamber, comprising:

exposing a substrate within a processing chamber to a first oxidizing gas during a pretreatment process, wherein the first oxidizing gas comprises an O 3 /O 2 mixture having an ozone concentration within a range from about 1 atomic percent to about 50 atomic percent;

conducting an atomic layer deposition cycle, comprising:

exposing the substrate to a hafnium precursor gas comprising a hafnium amino compound for a time period of at least about 30 seconds;

purging the processing chamber;

exposing the substrate to a second oxidizing gas comprising water for a time period of at least about 30 seconds; and

purging the processing chamber; and

repeating the atomic layer deposition cycle to form a hafnium-containing layer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ozone concentration is within a range from about 5 atomic percent to about 30 atomic percent.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ozone concentration is within a range from about 10 atomic percent to about 20 atomic percent.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hafnium-containing layer is deposited having a thickness within a range from about 5 Å to about 300 Å.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the thickness is within a range from about 20 Å to about 100 Å.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is exposed to the hafnium precursor gas for a time period within a range from about 30 seconds to about 90 seconds.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is exposed to the second oxidizing gas for a time period within a range from about 30 seconds to about 90 seconds.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the atomic layer deposition cycle further comprises sequentially exposing the substrate to a silicon precursor and the second oxidizing gas, and the hafnium-containing layer comprises hafnium silicate.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hafnium amino compound is tetrakis(diethylamino) hafnium, tetrakis(dimethylamino) hafnium, or tetrakis(ethylmethylamino) hafnium.

20. A method for forming a hafnium material on a substrate within a processing chamber, comprising:

exposing a substrate to water within a processing chamber during a pretreatment process;

exposing the substrate sequentially to a hafnium precursor gas and an oxidizing precursor gas during an atomic layer deposition cycle, wherein the hafnium precursor gas comprises a hafnium amino compound, the oxidizing precursor gas comprises an O 3 /O 2 mixture having an ozone concentration within a range from about 1 atomic percent to about 50 atomic percent, and the substrate is heated to a temperature within a range from about 200° C. to about 400° C. during the atomic layer deposition cycle; and

repeating the atomic layer deposition cycle to form a hafnium-containing layer.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the pretreatment process occurs for a time period within a range from about 1 second to about 5 minutes.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the hafnium-containing layer is deposited having a thickness within a range from about 5 Å to about 300 Å.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the thickness is within a range from about 20 Å to about 100 Å.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the ozone concentration is within a range from about 5 atomic percent to about 30 atomic percent.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the ozone concentration is within a range from about 10 atomic percent to about 20 atomic percent.