Method of growing oxide thin films
Process for producing silicon oxide containing thin films on a growth substrate by the ALCVD method. In the process, a vaporizable silicon compound is bonded to the growth substrate, and the bonded silicon compound is converted to silicon dioxide. The invention comprises using a silicon compound which contains at least one organic ligand and the bonded silicon compound is converted to silicon dioxide by contacting it with a vaporized, reactive oxygen source, in particular with ozone. The present invention provides a controlled process for growing controlling thin films containing SiO 2 , with sufficiently short reaction times.
1. An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for producing a thin film comprising silicon dioxide on a substrate comprising:
contacting a substrate in a flow type reactor with a vaporized silane compound such that the silane compound bonds to the substrate, the silane compound comprising at least one organic ligand and two silicon atoms; and
converting the silane compound into silicon dioxide by contacting it with a reactive vaporized oxygen source compound;
wherein the silane compound has the formula:
Si m L 2m+2 ,
wherein m is 2;
wherein the vaporized silane compound and the reactive vaporized oxygen source compound are the only reactants used to form the silicon dioxide; and
wherein when each reactant is contacting the substrate, the reactant flows continuously from an inlet of the reactor to an outlet of the reactor.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactive oxygen source compound is water.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactive oxygen source compound is ozone.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein converting comprises exposing the substrate to a concentration of ozone of about 1-30 vol.-%.
5. The process of claim 3 , wherein converting comprises exposing the substrate to a concentration of ozone of about 2-25 vol.-%.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein contacting and converting comprise maintaining the substrate at a temperature lower than 450° C.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one organic ligand comprises an amino ligand.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one organic ligand comprises an alkyl ligand.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the alkyl ligand is an ethyl ligand.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the silane compound has a boiling point of less than or equal to 400° C. at 10 mbar.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein contacting and converting comprises maintaining the substrate at a temperature of 150° C.-400° C.
12. The process of claim 1 , wherein each L can independently be F, Cl, Br, I, alkyl, alkoxy, vinyl, cyano, amino, silyl, alkylsilyl, alkoxysilyl, silylene or alkylsiloxane, wherein any alkyl and alkoxyl groups can be linear or branched and contain at least one substituent, with the proviso that at least one L is an organic ligand.