Deposition methods for improved delivery of metastable species

A layer deposition method comprising:

• providing a catalyst within an activation reservoir;
• providing a hydrogen source in fluid communication with the activation reservoir;
• catalytically generating activated hydrogen within the activation reservoir;
• during the generating, containing the activated hydrogen within the activation reservoir, and
• after the generating;
• 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 at least one pre-deposition-chamber reservoir, the at least one pre-position chamber reservoir having a combined first volume;
• flowing the activated hydrogen from the at least one pre-deposition-chamber reservoir into a deposition chamber, the deposition chamber having a second volume which is less than the first volume;
• 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 less than the first volume;
• and
• depositing at least some of the first metastable specie onto a substrate.

An atomic layer deposition method comprising:

• providing a 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.