Method of growing electrical conductors
AssigneeASM International N.V.
InventorsJuhana Kostamo, Pekka J. Soininen, Kai-Erik Elers, Suvi Haukka
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Abstract
A method for forming a conductive thin film includes depositing a metal oxide thin film on a substrate by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The method further includes at least partially reducing the metal oxide thin film by exposing the metal oxide thin film to a reducing agent, thereby forming a seed layer. In one arrangement, the reducing agent comprises one or more organic compounds that contain at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of —OH, —CHO, and —COOH. In another arrangement, the reducing agent comprises an electric current.
Claims22
A method of depositing ruthenium oxide on a substrate in a reaction chamber by an atomic layer deposition process comprising:
- providing a pulse of a ruthenium source into the reaction chamber;
- purging the reaction chamber of excess ruthenium source;
- providing a pulse of an oxygen source into the reaction chamber;
- and
- purging the reaction chamber of excess oxygen source,
- the method additionally comprising after purging the reaction chamber of excess ruthenium compound and prior to providing a pulse of an oxygen source:
- providing a pulse of a chemical reducing agent into the reaction chamber;
- and
- purging the reaction chamber of excess reducing agent, wherein the chemical reducing agent chemically reduces the ruthenium source.
A method of depositing a thin film comprising ruthenium oxide on a substrate by a plurality of atomic layer deposition cycles, each cycle comprising contacting the substrate with alternating vapor phase pulses of a Ru compound and an oxygen compound, wherein each cycle additionally comprises contacting the substrate with a reducing agent that chemically reduces the Ru compound.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.