Enhancement of Thermal Atomic Layer Etching
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate
InventorsSTEVEN MCCLELLAN GEORGE, NICHOLAS RAY JOHNSON, JAIME WILLADEAN DUMONT, AMY ELIZABETH MARQUARDT, YOUNGHEE LEE, DAVID RICHARD ZYWOTKO, AZIZ ABDULAGATOV
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Abstract
The invention includes a method of promoting atomic layer etching (ALE) of a surface. In certain embodiments, the method comprises sequential reactions with a metal precursor and a halogen-containing gas. In other embodiments, the etching rate is increased by removing residual species bound to and/or adsorbed onto the surface.
Claims20
A method of atomic layer etching (ALE) a solid substrate comprising a first metal compound, the method comprising the sequential steps of:
- (a) contacting the solid substrate with a gaseous second metal precursor, wherein the second metal precursor comprises at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of a monodentate ligand, chelate and any combinations thereof,
- whereby a first metal product is formed;
- (b) contacting the solid substrate formed in step (a) with a halogen-containing gas,
- whereby a first metal halide is formed;
- and
- (c) optionally repeating steps (a) and (b) one or more times;
- wherein, in at least one time point selected from the group consisting of:
- during step (a), inbetween step (a) and step (b), during step (b), and inbetween step (b) and step (a) of the following iteration, the surface is treated with an agent that promotes removal of at least a fraction of any ligand, or any residual surface species that results from a surface reaction, that is bound to and/or adsorbed onto the solid substrate;
- wherein the monodentate ligand comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of alkyl, hydride, carbonyl, halide, alkoxide, alkylamide, silylamide and any combinations thereof;
- and,
- wherein the chelate comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of β-diketonate, amidinate, acetamidinate, β-diketiminate, diamino alkoxide, metallocene and any combinations thereof;
- whereby the solid substrate is etched.
A method of atomic layer etching (ALE) a solid substrate comprising a first metal compound, the method comprising the sequential steps of:
- (x) submitting the solid substrate to a chemical treatment that results in the formation, on at least a portion of the surface of the solid substrate, of a first metal compound selected from the group consisting of a first metal oxide, first metal nitride, first metal phosphide, first metal sulfide, first metal arsenide, first metal fluoride, first metal silicide, first metal boride, first metal carbide, first metal selenide, first metal telluride, elemental first metal, first metal alloy, and hybrid organic-inorganic material;
- (b) contacting the solid substrate formed in step (x) with a halogen-containing gas, whereby first metal halide is formed as a product on the surface;
- (a) contacting the solid substrate formed in step (b) with a gaseous second metal precursor, wherein the precursor comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of monodentate ligands, chelates and any combinations thereof, whereby a first metal reaction product is formed;
- and
- (c) optionally repeating steps (x), (b) and (a) one or more times.
- wherein, in at least one time point selected from the group consisting of:
- during step (x), inbetween step (x) and step (b), during step (b), inbetween step (b) and step (a), during step (a), and inbetween step (a) and step (x) of the following iteration, the surface is treated with an agent that promotes removal of at least a fraction of any ligand, or any residual surface species that results from a surface reaction, that is bound to and/or adsorbed onto the solid substrate;
- wherein the monodentate ligand comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of alkyl, hydride, carbonyl, halide, alkoxide, alkylamide, silylamide and any combinations thereof;
- and,
- wherein the chelate comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of β-diketonate, amidinate, acetamidinate, β-diketiminate, diamino alkoxide, metallocene and any combinations thereof;
- whereby the solid substrate is etched.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.