Atomic layer doping apparatus and method

A method of operating an atomic layer doping apparatus, said doping apparatus comprising a first doping region and a second doping region, said first and second doping regions being chemically isolated from one another, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning a wafer in said first doping region;
• introducing a first dopant species into said first doping region and depositing said first dopant species on said wafer as a first atomic monolayer;
• moving said wafer from said first doping region to said second doping region;
• and
• introducing dopants from said first atomic monolayer into said wafer in said second doping region.

A method of conducting atomic layer doping comprising the steps of:

• depositing a first atomic monolayer including atoms of a dopant species on a substrate in a first doping region;
• moving said substrate from said first doping region to a second doping region, which is chemically isolated from said first doping region;
• and
• introducing said atoms of said dopant species into said wafer.

A method of operating an atomic layer doping apparatus, said doping apparatus comprising a plurality of doping regions, said doping regions being chemically isolated from one another, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning a plurality of wafers in respective doping regions;
• introducing a first dopant species into some of said plurality of doping regions and depositing said first dopant species on at least one of said plurality of wafers as a first atomic monolayer, said first atomic monolayer comprising dopant atoms of said first dopant species;
• moving said plurality of wafers from said some of said plurality of doping regions to other doping regions;
• and
• introducing a second gas species into said other doping regions and contacting said second gas species on at least one of said plurality of wafers to introduce said dopant atoms into said at least one of said plurality of wafers.

A method of conducting atomic layer doping comprising the steps of:

• depositing a first atomic monolayer including atoms of a first dopant species on a substrate in a first doping region;
• moving said substrate from said first doping region to a second doping region, which is chemically isolated from said first doping region, for depositing a second monolayer including atoms of a second dopant species on said substrate;
• and
• moving said substrate from said second doping region to a third doping region, which is chemically isolated from said first and second doping regions, for introducing said atoms of said first and second dopant species into said wafer.