Atomic layer deposition method for coating a substrate surface using successive surface reactions with multiple precursors

1. A method for providing one or more coating layers on a surface of a substrate by successive surface reactions of at least a first precursor and a second precursor according to the principles of atomic layer deposition, comprising:

supplying the first precursor from at least one first precursor nozzle and the second precursor from at least one second precursor nozzle to the surface of the substrate;

moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle for subjecting the surface of the substrate to successive surface reactions of at least the first precursor and the second precursor;

subjecting one or more first limited sub-areas of the surface of the substrate to both the first precursor and the second precursor and one or more second sub-areas of the surface of the substrate to only one precursor or to no precursors by co-operation of supplying the first precursor and the second precursor and simultaneously moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle for providing one or more coating layers on the first limited sub-areas of the surface of the substrate and leaving the second limited sub-areas without coating layers; and

moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle such that the movements of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle over the surface of the substrate are overlapped only on the first limited sub-areas over the surface of the substrate for providing one or more coating layers on the first limited sub-areas.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising either:

introducing the supply of at least one of the first precursor and the second precursor and simultaneously moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle such that only the one or more limited sub-areas are subjected to both the first precursor and the second precursor; or

moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle at constant speed and simultaneously introducing the supply of at least one of the first precursor and the second precursor such that only the one or more first limited sub-areas are subjected to both the first precursor and the second precursor.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the introducing of the supply of at least one of the first precursor and the second precursor is carried out by:

introducing the first precursor and the second precursor supply such that the first precursor is supplied to the surface of the substrate when the first precursor nozzle scans over the one or more first limited sub-areas and the second precursor is supplied to the surface of the substrate when the second precursor nozzle scans over the one or more first limited sub-areas during the relative movement of the substrate and the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle; and

introducing the first precursor such that the first precursor is supplied to the surface of the substrate when the first precursor nozzle scans over the one or more first limited sub-areas during the relative movement of the substrate and the first precursor nozzle, and supplying the second precursor continuously to the surface of the substrate during the relative movement of the substrate and the second precursor nozzle.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising either:

moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in reciprocating movement between a first relative position and a second relative position and simultaneously introducing the supply of at least one of the first precursor and the second precursor such that only the one or more first limited sub-areas are subjected to both the first precursor and the second precursor; or

moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle along a curved coating path and simultaneously introducing the supply of at least one of the first precursor and the second precursor such that only the one or more first limited sub-areas are subjected to both the first precursor and the second precursor.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the introducing of the supply of at least one of the first precursor and the second precursor is carried out by:

introducing the first precursor and the second precursor supply such that the first precursor is supplied to the surface of the substrate when the first precursor nozzle scans over the one or more first limited sub-areas and the second precursor is supplied to the surface of the substrate when the second precursor nozzle scans over the one or more first limited sub-areas during the relative movement of the substrate and the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle;

introducing the first precursor such that the first precursor is supplied to the surface of the substrate when the first precursor nozzle scans over the one or more first limited sub-areas during the relative movement of the substrate and the first precursor nozzle, and supplying the second precursor continuously to the surface of the substrate during the relative movement of the substrate and the second precursor nozzle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising either:

moving the substrate relative to at least one of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in reciprocating movement between a first relative position and a second relative position over the surface of the substrate such that the reciprocating movements of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle are overlapped on the first limited sub-areas over the surface of the substrate; or

moving the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in reciprocating movement in relation to the substrate between a first relative position and a second relative position over the surface of the substrate such that the second relative position of the first precursor nozzle overlaps at least partly the first relative position of the second precursor nozzle during the reciprocating movement for subjecting the surface of the substrate to both the first precursor and the second precursor at the one or more first limited sub-areas provided by the overlapped regions of the first and second relative positions.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first precursor nozzle has a first width (w 1 ) and the second precursor nozzle has a second width (w 2 ) in a direction of the reciprocating movement and the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle are arranged at a distance (w 3 ) from each other in the direction of the reciprocating movement, and the method comprises:

moving the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in reciprocating movement in relation to the substrate and simultaneously keeping the first precursor nozzle and second precursor nozzle stationary in relation to each other such that a travelling length (L) of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in the reciprocating movement is:

w 3< L< 2* w 3+ w 1; or

w 3< L< 2* w 3+ w 2,

for subjecting the surface of the substrate to both the first precursor and the second precursor at the one or more first limited sub-areas provided by the overlapped regions of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle over the surface of the substrate.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the travelling length of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in the reciprocating movement is substantially:

L=w 3+ w 1; or

L=w 3+ w 2.

9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

moving the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in relation to the substrate along a curved coating path or a loop path over the surface of the substrate such that the curved coating paths of the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle are overlapped on the first limited sub-areas over the surface of the substrate.

10. The method according to claim 1 , comprising either:

moving the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in relation to the substrate and simultaneously keeping the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle stationary in relation to each other; or

moving the first precursor nozzle and the second precursor nozzle in relation to each other and in relation to the substrate; or

moving the first precursor nozzle in relation to the substrate and in relation to the second precursor nozzle and simultaneously keeping the second precursor nozzle and the substrate stationary in relation to each other.