Semiconductor device with silicon dioxide layers formed using atomic layer deposition

A semiconductor device comprising a substrate having a highly uniform, substantially impurity-free silicon dioxide thin film having enhanced silicon richness along at least a surface thereof, wherein said silicon dioxide thin film was formed by the steps of:

• (a) loading the substrate into a chamber;
• (b) supplying a first reactant, a catalyst, and optionally an inert gas to the chamber, wherein said first reactant is a silicon halide compound having at least two silicon atoms and said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and amine;
• (c) purging reaction byproducts and unreacted first reactant and catalyst from the chamber;
• (d) supplying a second reactant, a catalyst, and optionally an inert gas to the chamber, wherein said second reactant is a compound having 0 components and said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and amine;
• (e) purging reaction byproducts and unreacted second reactant and catalyst from the chamber;
• and,
• (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) until the silicon dioxide thin film reaches the desired thickness.

A semiconductor device comprising at least a substrate having a silicon dioxide layer deposited on a surface of said substrate using a catalyst-assisted atomic layer deposition process comprising the sequential steps of exposing a functionalized surface of the substrate to a first mixture consisting essentially of first reactant and first catalyst and thereafter exposing that surface to a second mixture consisting essentially of second reactant and second catalyst to form a silicon dioxide monolayer on the substrate surface, and further comprising one or more of the following:

• (a) using a first reactant consisting essentially of at least one member selected from the group consisting of silicon compounds having at least two silicon atoms;
• (b) using a first catalyst consisting essentially of at least one member selected from the group consisting of tertiary aliphatic amine compounds;
• and,
• (c) using a first reactant consisting essentially of at least one member selected from the group consisting of silicon compounds having at least two silicon atoms in combination with using a first catalyst consisting essentially of at least one member selected from the group consisting of tertiary aliphatic amine compounds.

A substrate having a silicon dioxide thin film deposited on a surface of said substrate by the steps of:

• (a) loading the substrate into a chamber;
• (b) supplying a first reactant, a catalyst, and optionally an inert gas to the chamber, wherein said first reactant is a silicon-halide compound having at least two silicon atoms and said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and amine;
• (c) purging reaction byproducts and unreacted first reactant and catalyst from the chamber;
• (d) supplying a second reactant, a catalyst, and optionally an inert gas to the chamber, wherein said second reactant is a compound having O components and said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of ammonia and amine;
• (e) purging reaction byproducts and unreacted second reactant and catalyst from the chamber;
• and,
• (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) until the silicon dioxide thin film reaches a desired thickness greater than one monolayer.