Methods of growing thin films at low temperatures using electron stimulated desorption (esd)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016218004-A1
Application number	US-201415024269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2014
Priority date	Sep 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention includes a method of promoting thin film growth on a solid substrate, wherein derivatization of the substrate comprises formation of at least one surface species. In certain embodiments, the method comprises desorbing the surface species from the substrate using electron stimulated desorption (ESD).

First claim

1 . A method of promoting thin film growth on a solid substrate, wherein the method comprises:
(a) submitting the solid substrate to electron stimulated desorption (ESD) to desorb a surface species, thus generating at least one active site on the substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(b) reacting a first molecule, wherein the first molecule comprises a first central element and a first ligand, with the substrate generated in step (a), whereby the first molecule is physically or chemically adsorbed onto the substrate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature required for desorbing the surface species from the substrate using ESD is lower than the temperature required for thermally desorbing the surface species from the substrate.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature required for desorbing the surface species using ESD is selected from the group consisting of: equal to or lower than about 100° C., and about room temperature.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface species is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, CH 3 (methyl), CH 2 CH 3 (ethyl), N(CH 3 ) 2 (dimethylamino), Cl, Br, F, CO, cyclopentadienyl (Cp) and substituted cyclopentadienyl, and acetylacetonate (acac) and other beta-diketonates.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electron energy used during ESD is selected from the group consisting of: equal to or lower than about 100 eV, and ranging from about 25 eV to about 50 eV.

8 . (canceled)

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method allows for the controlled growth of the thin film.

10 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
(c) in the case that the ligand is not a hydride, optionally submitting the substrate generated in step (b) to hydrogen radical flux, whereby the substrate-bound ligand is replaced with substrate-bound hydride ligand; and, (d) optionally repeating steps (a)-(c) until the desired film thickness is obtained.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the molecule comprises a hydride ligand.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein ESD is applied during the reaction in step (b).

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method allows for continuous thin film growth.

15 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
(c) in the case that the first ligand is not hydride, optionally submitting the substrate generated in step (b) to hydrogen radical flux, whereby the substrate-bound first ligand is replaced with substrate-bound hydride ligand; (d) submitting the solid substrate generated in step (b) or (c) to ESD, thus generating at least one active site on the substrate; (e) reacting a second molecule, wherein the second molecule comprises a second central element and a second ligand, with the substrate generated in step (d), whereby the second molecule is physically or chemically adsorbed onto the substrate; (f) in the case that the second ligand is not a hydride, optionally submitting the substrate from step (e) to hydrogen radical flux, whereby the substrate-bound second ligand is replaced with substrate-bound hydride ligand; and, (g) optionally repeating steps (a)-(f) until the desired film thickness is obtained.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and the second molecules are such that: (a) the first and second molecules comprise a hydride ligand; (b) the first molecule comprises a methyl or chloride ligand; (c) the first molecule comprises a hydride ligand and the second molecule comprises a chloride ligand; or (d) the first molecule comprises a methyl ligand and the second molecule comprises a hydrogen ligand.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first and the second molecules are such that: in (a) the first molecule comprises GaH 3 and the second molecule comprises NH 3 ; (b) the first molecule comprises Ga(CH 3 ) 3 or GaCl 3 ; (c) the first molecule comprises NH 3 or H 2 O, and wherein the second molecule comprises SiCl 4 ; or (d) the first molecule comprises Ga(CH 3 ) 3 and the second molecule comprises NH 3 .

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . (canceled)

21 . (canceled)

22 . (canceled)

23 . (canceled)

24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein ESD is applied to the substrate during at least one step selected from step (b) and step (e).

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the method allows for continuous thin film growth.

26 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) the solid substrate comprises Si-CMOS and the thin film comprises GaN, or (b) the solid substrate comprises a molybdenum/silicon multilayer substrate and the thin film comprises silicon.

27 . (canceled)

28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin film comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Si 3 N 4 and SiO 2 .

29 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thin film is at least partially crystalline.

30 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid substrate comprises a diamond substrate, the method further comprising:
(b) submitting the substrate generated in step (a) to methyl radical flux; (c) reacting the substrate generated in step (b) with hydrogen ions; (d) reacting the substrate generated in step (c) with a hydrogen radical flux; and, (e) optionally repeating steps (a)-(d) until the desired film thickness is obtained.

31 . A thin film prepared using the method of claim 1 .

32 . The thin film of claim 31 , wherein the thin film is at least one selected from the group consisting of: at least partially crystalline; and at least partially epitaxial to the solid substrate.

33 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Univ Colorado Regents

Inventors

• George Steven M
• Cavanagh Andrew S

Classifications

• H10P14/69433

  the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz · CPC title

• H10P14/69215

  the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2 · CPC title

• H10P14/6339

  deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD · CPC title

• H10P14/6329

  using physical ablation of a target, e.g. physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition · CPC title

• H10P14/3452

  Microstructure · CPC title