Deposition methods and apparatus for improved delivery of metastable species

An atomic layer deposition apparatus comprising:

• a deposition chamber having a first inlet, a second inlet, a dispersion head, and a substrate platform;
• the dispersion head being positioned between the first inlet and the substrate platform and between the second inlet and the substrate platform;
• a first activated specie containment reservoir in fluid communication with the deposition chamber through the first inlet;
• a second activated specie containment reservoir in fluid communication with the deposition chamber through the second inlet;
• and
• one or more carrier gas sources configured to deliver carrier gas through at least one of the first inlet and the second inlet.

A method of providing material into a deposition chamber comprising:

• providing one or more reservoirs in fluid communication with a deposition chamber;
• providing at least one metastable specie within at least one of the reservoirs;
• and
• flowing the at least one metastable specie from the at least one reservoir into the deposition chamber, the flowing the at least one metastable specie comprising:
• introducing the at least one metastable specie into the deposition chamber through an inlet;
• and
• passing at least a portion of the at least one metastable specie through a disperser.

A layer deposition method comprising:

• providing a catalyst within a activation reservoir;
• providing a hydrogen source in fluid communication with the activation reservoir;
• catalytically generating activated hydrogen within the activation reservoir;
• and
• flowing the activated hydrogen from the activation reservoir into a reaction chamber.

A layer deposition method comprising:

• providing a substrate within a deposition chamber;
• remotely generating activated hydrogen;
• flowing the activated hydrogen into a first pre-deposition-chamber reservoir;
• flowing the activated hydrogen from the pre-deposition-chamber reservoir into a deposition chamber;
• and
• adsorbing at least a portion of the activated hydrogen onto a substrate.

A method of depositing material on a substrate comprising:

• generating a first metastable specie;
• containing the first metastable specie within a first reservoir, the first reservoir having a first volume;
• flowing the first metastable specie from the first reservoir into a deposition chamber having a second volume, the second volume being at least 1.0% of the first volume;
• and
• depositing at least some of the first metastable specie onto a substrate.

An atomic layer deposition method comprising:

• providing an metastable-specie-containment reservoir in selective fluid communication with a reaction chamber;
• containing a metastable specie in the metastable-specie-containment reservoir;
• and
• flowing the metastable specie from the metastable-specie-containment reservoir into the reaction chamber, the flowing comprising:
• purging the metastable-specie-containment reservoir, wherein the purging flushes the metastable specie from the metastable-specie-containment reservoir into the reaction chamber through one or more metastable-specie inlets;
• and
• compressing the metastable specie into the reaction chamber, the reaction chamber comprising a volume that is less than an initial volume occupied by the metastable specie prior to the flowing from the metastable-specie-containment reservoir.