Methods for reducing surface defects in active film layers

A method of reducing surface defects of a film layer, comprising:

• degassing a substrate;
• depositing a first seed layer of aluminum nitride on the substrate in a vacuum in a first deposition chamber after degassing;
• moving the substrate from the first deposition chamber to a second deposition chamber without a vacuum break;
• depositing a molybdenum layer on the first seed layer in the second deposition chamber at a first temperature of 350 degrees Celsius to approximately 700 degrees Celsius;
• moving the substrate from the second deposition chamber to the first deposition chamber without a vacuum break;
• depositing a second seed layer of aluminum nitride on the molybdenum layer after depositing the molybdenum layer;
• cooling the substrate and exposing the substrate to ambient environment;
• degassing the substrate;
• and
• depositing a scandium doped aluminum nitride layer at a second temperature of less than 200 degrees Celsius in a third deposition chamber, wherein the scandium doped aluminum nitride layer has a surface cone defect count of less than or equal to 2 per 100 microns2 of surface area of the scandium doped aluminum nitride layer.

A non-transitory, computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a method of reducing surface defects of a film layer to be performed, the method comprising:

• degassing a substrate;
• depositing a first seed layer on a substrate in a vacuum after degassing;
• depositing a molybdenum layer on the first seed layer at a first temperature of 350 degrees Celsius to 700 degrees Celsius without a vacuum break between depositing the first seed layer and depositing the molybdenum layer;
• depositing a second seed layer on the molybdenum layer without a vacuum break between depositing the molybdenum layer and depositing the second seed layer;
• cooling the substrate by exposing the substrate to an ambient environment;
• degassing the substrate;
• and
• depositing a scandium doped aluminum nitride layer at a second temperature of less than 200 degrees Celsius, wherein the scandium doped aluminum nitride layer has a surface cone defect count of less than or equal to 2 per 100 microns2 of surface area of the scandium doped aluminum nitride layer.