Gas-phase functionalization of surfaces of microelectronic structures

A method for functionalizing an inert planar surface of a microelectronic structure comprising:

• providing a planar microelectronic structure surface that is chemically inert to material layer deposition precursors;
• exposing the inert planar microelectronic structure surface to at least one vapor including at least one functionalization specie that is physisorbed but not chemisorbed on the inert microelectronic structure surface and that is not a metal that changes electrical state of the microelectronic structure, to non-covalently bond to the inert planar microelectronic structure surface while providing a functionalization layer of chemically-active functional groups, to produce a functionalized planar microelectronic structure surface that is reactive to material layer deposition precursors;
• exposing the functionalized planar microelectronic structure surface to at least one vapor stabilization species that reacts with the functionalization layer to form a stabilization layer that stabilizes the functionalization layer against desorption from the planar microelectronic structure surface while providing chemically-active functional groups at the planar microelectronic structure surface, to produce a stabilized planar microelectronic structure surface;
• and
• exposing the stabilized planar microelectronic structure surface to at least one material layer precursor species that deposits a material layer on the stabilized planar microelectronic structure surface.