Process conditions and precursors for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of AL2O3

A method for depositing an aluminum-containing layer onto a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, said method comprising:

• heating said substrate to a temperature in a range of 100° C. to 500° C., inclusive;
• establishing a pressure within said processing chamber in a range of 0.1 Torr to 500 Torr;
• forming an aluminum-containing monolayer upon said substrate by flowing an aluminum-containing compound and a liquid solvent into a vaporizer and then delivering the aluminum-containing process gas onto said substrate;
• reacting oxygen with said aluminum-containing monolayer by exposing said aluminum-containing monolayer to an oxygen-containing precursor to produce a layer of Al2O3 and by-products;
• and
• repeating forming said aluminum-containing layer and reacting oxygen with said aluminum-containing monolayer to form said layer of Al2O3 with a desired thickness.

A processing system for forming an aluminum-containing layer on a substrate, said system comprising:

• a body defining a processing chamber;
• a cover disposed over the body and adapted to deliver gases into the processing chamber;
• a holder disposed within said processing chamber to support said substrate;
• an oxygen-containing precursor source mounted on the cover;
• an aluminum-containing precursor in fluid communication with the cover;
• a temperature control system in thermal communication with said processing chamber;
• a pressure control system in fluid communication with said processing chamber;
• a controller in electrical communication with the cover, said temperature control system, and said pressure control system;
• and
• a memory in data communication with said controller, said memory comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein, said computer-readable program including a first set of instructions for controlling the cover, said pressure control system and said temperature control system to form an aluminum-containing monolayer upon said substrate by chemisorption of said aluminum-containing precursor, and a second set of instructions to control said gas delivery system, said pressure control system and said temperature control system to chemisorb oxygen into said aluminum-containing monolayer by exposing said aluminum-containing monolayer to said oxygen-containing precursor to produce a layer of Al2O3 and by-products, and a third set of instructions to control the cover, said pressure control system and said temperature control system to repeat forming said aluminum-containing layer and chemisorbing oxygen into said aluminum-containing monolayer to form said layer of Al2O3 with a desired thickness.