Atomic layer deposition

Claim 1

A method for atomic layer deposition of a solid film onto a plurality of substrates comprising: placing said plurality of substrates in a holder, the holder having at least three vertical columns, wherein upper ends of the columns are attached to an upper plate and lower ends of the columns are attached to a lower plate, wherein each column has mutually spaced recesses to receive an edge of the substrates so that the substrates are vertically spaced apart and rest substantially horizontally in the holder; inserting the holder with said plurality of substrates in a spaced apart relationship and substantially horizontal position in a reaction chamber delimited by a liner; heating the substrates to a deposition temperature; exposing the substrate to alternating and sequential pulses of at least two mutually reactive reactants, wherein the deposition temperature is high enough to prevent condensation of the reactants on a surface but not high enough to result in a significant thermal decomposition of the reactants individually, said exposing includes flowing the reactants in an annular passage defined between the liner and edges of the substrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to a major surface of the substrates; and removing the holder with said plurality of substrates from the reaction chamber.

Claim 2

A method for atomic layer deposition of a solid film onto a plurality of substrates comprising: placing said plurality of substrates in a holder, the holder having at least three vertical columns, wherein upper ends of the columns are attached to an upper plate and lower ends of the columns are attached to a lower plate, wherein each column has mutually spaced recesses to receive an edge of the substrates so that the substrates are vertically spaced apart and rest substantially horizontally in the holder; inserting the holder with said plurality of substrates in a spaced apart relationship and substantially horizontal position in a reaction chamber delimited by a liner; heating the substrates to a deposition temperature; exposing the substrate to alternating and sequential pulses of at least two mutually reactive reactants, wherein the deposition temperature is high enough to prevent condensation of the reactants on a surface but not high enough to result in a significant thermal decomposition of the reactants individually, said exposing includes flowing the reactants in an annular passage defined between the liner and edges of the substrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to a major surface of the substrates; and removing the holder with said plurality of substrates from the reaction chamber.

Claim 11

A method of depositing a solid film on a plurality of wafer-like substrates utilizing atomic layer deposition, said method comprising the steps of: placing said substrates in a holder in substantially vertically spaced relation with the substrates extending substantially horizontally with peripheral edges of the substrates forming circumferential passages leading to gaps between the substrates; inserting the holder with the substrates into a reaction chamber with the peripheral edges of the substrates being spaced from a surrounding wall of the reaction chamber to form an annular, vertically extending passage; heating the substrates to a deposition temperature; exposing the substrates to alternating and sequential pulses of at least two mutually reactive reactants, wherein said exposing step comprises flowing the reactants vertically through the annular passage, to an exhaust line, while permitting reactants to migrate into the gaps between said substrates, said deposition temperature being high enough to prevent condensation of the reactants on the surface but not high enough to result in a significant thermal decomposition of the reactants individually; and removing the holder with said substrates from the reaction chamber.

Claim 12

A method of depositing a solid film on a plurality of wafer-like substrates utilizing atomic layer deposition, said method comprising the steps of: placing said substrates in a holder in substantially vertically spaced relation with the substrates extending substantially horizontally with peripheral edges of the substrates forming circumferential passages leading to gaps between the substrates; inserting the holder with the substrates into a reaction chamber with the peripheral edges of the substrates being spaced from a surrounding wall of the reaction chamber to form an annular, vertically extending passage; heating the substrates to a deposition temperature; exposing the substrates to alternating and sequential pulses of at least two mutually reactive reactants, wherein said exposing step comprises flowing the reactants vertically through the annular passage, to an exhaust line, while permitting reactants to migrate into the gaps between said substrates, said deposition temperature being high enough to prevent condensation of the reactants on the surface but not high enough to result in a significant thermal decomposition of the reactants individually; and removing the holder with said substrates from the reaction chamber.