Deposition of oxide thin films

1. A method for selectively depositing a thin film on a first surface of a substrate relative to a second surface, the method comprising:

contacting the first and second surfaces of the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor;

exposing the substrate to a purge gas or vacuum after contacting the first and second surfaces of the substrate with the first vapor phase precursor; and

contacting the first and second surfaces of the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising molecular oxygen (O 2 ) as the sole source of oxygen in the method for selectively depositing, after exposing the substrate to the purge gas or vacuum;

wherein the thin film is thereby selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second surface;

wherein the second vapor phase precursor does not comprise any compound comprising oxygen other than the molecular oxygen;

wherein the thin film is selectively deposited at a deposition temperature of less than about 400° C.;

wherein the deposition temperature and the second vapor phase precursor minimize degradation of the second surface such that selective deposition from the first surface to the second surface is at least about 50% selective;

wherein the thin film comprises an insulating metal oxide and not a semimetal oxide, the insulating metal oxide being selected from a group consisting of transition metal oxides, magnesium oxide, and aluminum oxide; and

wherein the second surface comprises an organic species selected from the group consisting of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and a polymer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is a substantially different material from the second surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising exposing the substrate to a purge gas or vacuum after contacting the substrate with the second vapor phase precursor comprising molecular oxygen.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic species is the self-assembled monolayer (SAM).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness or amount of the thin film deposited on the second surface is less than about 50% of a thickness or amount of the thin film selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprises an organometallic compound.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprises magnesium, lanthanum, hafnium, zirconium, aluminum, yttrium, scandium, a lanthanide, or a transition metal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprises bis(cyclopentadienyl)magnesium (Mg(Cp) 2 ).

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprises lanthanum formamidinate (La(FAMD) 3 ).

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprises tetramethylethyl alkylamide hafnium (TEMAH).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the substrate with the second vapor phase precursor comprising molecular oxygen does not degrade or oxidize the second surface.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition temperature is in a range from about 225° C. to about 400° C.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating metal oxide is a transition metal oxide.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating metal oxide is aluminum oxide.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second vapor phase precursor is not excited prior to contacting the substrate.

16. A method for depositing a magnesium oxide, lanthanum oxide, or hafnium oxide thin film on a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase precursor comprising magnesium, lanthanum, or hafnium, wherein the substrate comprises a first surface and a second, substantially different surface;

exposing the substrate to a purge gas or vacuum after contacting the substrate with the first vapor phase precursor comprising magnesium, lanthanum, or hafnium; and

contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase precursor comprising molecular oxygen (O 2 ), without exposing the first and second surfaces to a non-O 2 source of oxygen, after exposing the substrate to the purge gas or vacuum;

wherein the magnesium oxide, lanthanum oxide, or hafnium oxide thin film is thereby selectively deposited on the first surface of the substrate relative to the second, substantially different surface;

wherein the second vapor phase precursor does not comprise any compound comprising oxygen other than the molecular oxygen;

wherein the magnesium oxide, lanthanum oxide, or hafnium oxide thin film is selectively deposited at a deposition temperature of less than about 400° C.; and

wherein the deposition temperature and the second vapor phase precursor minimize degradation of the second surface such that selective deposition from the first surface to the second surface is at least about 50% selective, and wherein the selective deposition results in a metal oxide and not a semimetal oxide on the first surface, the metal oxide comprising the magnesium oxide, lanthanum oxide, or hafnium oxide thin film.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising exposing the substrate to a purge gas or vacuum after contacting the substrate with the second vapor phase precursor.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second surface of the substrate comprises an organic species.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first vapor phase precursor comprising magnesium, lanthanum, or hafnium comprises at least one cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligand.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the organic species is selected from the group consisting of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and a polymer.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wherein the magnesium oxide, lanthanum oxide, or hafnium oxide thin film comprises lanthanum oxide or hafnium oxide.