Liquid phase atomic layer deposition

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing the substrate in a process chamber;

spinning onto the substrate a first reactant in a first liquid to deposit a self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate, wherein the first reactant includes trimethylaluminum, tris(bis(trimethylsilyl)amido)lanthanum, or tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium;

thereafter, spinning onto the substrate a second reactant in a second liquid, wherein the second reactant reacts with the deposited self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate to form a deposited film on the substrate; and

sequentially repeating the spinning steps at least once until the deposited film has a desired thickness.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

heat-treating the substrate after one or more of the spinning steps.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

heat-treating the substrate after the film has been deposited on the substrate with the desired thickness.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

rinsing the substrate with a rinsing liquid after one or more of the spinning steps.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rinsing liquid contains octane or pyridine.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising

heat-treating the substrate after the rinsing step.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

exposing the substrate to a reducing atmosphere after one or more of the spinning steps.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the reducing atmosphere includes hydrogen, ammonia, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the exposing the substrate to a reducing atmosphere further comprises heat-treating the substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second reactant includes water, ethylene glycol, ethane-1,2-dithiol, or ammonia.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid, the second liquid, or both the first and second liquids, contain octane or pyridine.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposited self-limiting layer consists of the first reactant, a flow of the first liquid into the process chamber for spinning the first reactant onto the substrate is stopped before spinning the second reactant onto the substrate, and a flow of the second liquid into the process chamber for spinning the second reactant onto the substrate is stopped before sequentially repeating the spinning steps.

13. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing the substrate in a process chamber;

spinning on the substrate a first reactant in a first liquid to form a self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate;

thereafter, spinning on the substrate a second reactant in a second liquid, wherein the second reactant reacts with the self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate to form a film on the substrate; and

sequentially repeating the spinning steps at least once until the film has a desired thickness, wherein the film contains Al 2 O 3 , Alucone, Thio-Alucone, La 2 O 3 , or TiN.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first reactant includes trimethylaluminum, tris(bis(trimethylsilyl)amido)lanthanum, or tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising

heat-treating the substrate after one or more of the spinning steps, or

heat-treating the substrate after the film has been deposited on the substrate with the desired thickness.

16. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing the substrate in a process chamber;

spinning on the substrate a first reactant in a first liquid to form a self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate, the first reactant containing a metal element;

rinsing the substrate to remove excess of the first reactant from the substrate;

thereafter, spinning on the substrate a second reactant in a second liquid, wherein the second reactant reacts with the self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate to form a film on the substrate;

rinsing the substrate to remove excess of the second reactant from the substrate; and

sequentially repeating the spinning and rinsing steps at least once until the film has a desired thickness, wherein the film contains Al 2 O 3 , Alucone, Thio-Alucone, La 2 O 3 , or TiN.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

heat-treating the substrate after one or more of the spinning steps.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

heat-treating the substrate after the film has been deposited on the substrate with the desired thickness.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first reactant includes trimethylaluminum, tris(bis(trimethylsilyl)amido)lanthanum, or tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium, and wherein the second reactant includes water, ethylene glycol, ethane-1,2-dithiol, or ammonia.

20. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing the substrate in a process chamber;

spinning on the substrate a first reactant in a first liquid to form a self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate;

spinning on the substrate a second reactant in a second liquid, wherein the second reactant reacts with the self-limiting layer of the first reactant on the substrate to form a film on the substrate;

repeating the spinning steps at least once until the film has a desired thickness; and

optionally, rinsing the substrate with a rinsing liquid after one or more of the spinning steps,

wherein one or any combination of the first liquid, the second liquid, or the rinsing liquid contain octane or pyridine, and

wherein the film contains Al 2 O 3 , Alucone, Thio-Alucone, La 2 O 3 , or TiN, or wherein the first reactant includes trimethylaluminum, tris(bis(trimethylsilyl)amido)lanthanum, or tetrakis(dimethylamido)titanium.