Atomic layer deposition methods and chemical vapor deposition methods

Claim 2

An atomic layer deposition method comprising: in an absence of microwave radiation, providing a first precursor material into a reaction chamber and chemisorbing of at least a fragment of the first precursor material on a substrate within the reaction chamber; after the chemisorbing, exposing the chemisorbed material to microwave radiation within the reaction chamber to cleave said chemisorbed material and thereby release a portion of said material while leaving another portion of the material remaining on the substrate; providing a reactant into the chamber and reacting the reactant with the chemisorbed material; and flowing a second precursor material into the reaction chamber and depositing at least a fragment of the second precursor on the chemisorbed material, the flowing and depositing of second precursor being conducted without exposing the second precursor material to microwave radiation.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the exposing to the microwave radiation lasts for a period of time of from about 0.1 second to about 60 seconds.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the exposing to the microwave radiation lasts for a period of time of from about 0.1 second to about 10 seconds.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein: the first precursor material comprises a component ultimately to be within a layer on a substrate; the component is joined with a group comprising oxygen and carbon; and the portion released by the cleaving includes the oxygen and carbon of said group.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein the component comprises one or more of Sr, Ba, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Y, La, Pr, Ga, Gd, Er, Al, Si, P and Ge.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein: the first precursor material comprises a component ultimately to be within a layer on a substrate; the component is joined with a group comprising nitrogen and carbon; and the portion released by the cleaving includes the nitrogen and carbon of said group.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein the component comprises one or more of Sr, Ba, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Y, La, Pr, Ga, Gd, Er, Al, Si, P and Ge.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor material comprises a metallo-organic.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor material comprises a metal alkoxide.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 wherein the chemisorbed material comprises a metal alkoxide, and wherein the exposure to the microwave radiation forms a metal oxide from the metal alkoxide.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10 wherein the metal of the metal alkoxide comprises titanium or zirconium.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1 wherein the first precursor material comprises titanium isopropoxide.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1 wherein the first precursor material comprises a metal coordinated with a group comprising nitrogen and carbon.

Claim 15

The method of claim 1 wherein the first precursor material comprises tetrakis-dimethylaminotitanium.

Claim 16

A deposition method comprising: placing a substrate within a reaction chamber; without activating a first precursor, flowing the first precursor into the chamber and depositing a first layer comprising at least a fragment of the first precursor on the substrate while not exposing the first precursor to microwave radiation; after depositing the first layer, removing substantially all first precursor not associated with the first layer from the chamber; after the removing and while the substrate remains in the reaction chamber, exposing the first layer to microwave radiation within the chamber to alter the first layer by releasing a portion of said at least a fragment of the first precursor comprised by the first layer while leaving another portion of the first precursor within the first layer; and flowing a second precursor into the reaction chamber after exposing the first layer to the microwave radiation and depositing a second layer comprising at least a fragment of the second precursor on the first layer, the second precursor not being exposed to the microwave radiation prior to or during the depositing of the second layer.

Claim 17

A deposition method comprising: placing a substrate within a reaction chamber; without activating a first precursor, flowing the first precursor into the chamber and depositing a first layer comprising at least a fragment of the first precursor on the substrate while not exposing the first precursor to microwave radiation; after depositing the first layer, removing substantially all first precursor not associated with the first layer from the chamber; after the removing and while the substrate remains in the reaction chamber, exposing the first layer to microwave radiation within the chamber to alter the first layer by releasing a portion of said at least a fragment of the first precursor comprised by the first layer while leaving another portion of the first precursor within the first layer; and flowing a second precursor into the reaction chamber after exposing the first layer to the microwave radiation and depositing a second layer comprising at least a fragment of the second precursor on the first layer, the second precursor not being exposed to the microwave radiation prior to or during the depositing of the second layer.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15 further comprising: after depositing the second layer, removing substantially all second precursor not associated with the second layer from the chamber; and after the removing of the second precursor and while the substrate remains in the reaction chamber, exposing the second layer to microwave radiation within the chamber to alter the second layer by releasing a portion of said at least a fragment of the second precursor comprised by the second layer while leaving another portion of the second precursor within the second layer.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 further comprising utilizing the microwave radiation to heat the substrate while the substrate is within the reaction chamber.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 further comprising heating the substrate within the reaction chamber with energy provided in addition to the microwave radiation.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15 wherein the microwave radiation is emitted into the reaction chamber from a source; and wherein the microwave radiation is not emitted into the reaction chamber until after the removing of substantially all of the first precursor not associated with the layer.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15 being an atomic layer deposition method, and wherein the layer is a monolayer at the time of the removing of substantially all of the first precursor not associated with the layer.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15 being a pulsed chemical vapor deposition method, and wherein the layer is thicker than a monolayer at the time of the removing of substantially all of the first precursor not associated with the layer.

Claim 24

A pulsed chemical vapor deposition method comprising: providing a source of microwave radiation proximate a reaction chamber; placing a substrate within the reaction chamber; flowing one or more precursors into the chamber to form a first layer that is more than one monolayer thick on the substrate; the one or more precursors not being exposed to microwave radiation from the source prior to or during the formation of the first layer, the first layer comprising at least a fragment of at least one of the one or more precursors; after forming the first layer, removing substantially all of the at least one precursor from within the chamber; after the removing of substantially all of the at least one precursor, exposing the first layer to microwave radiation within the reaction chamber from the source to chemically change the first layer; and after exposing the first layer to microwave radiation, and in an absence of microwave exposure, flowing the at least one precursor into the chamber and depositing at least a fragment of the at least one precursor to form a second layer over the first layer.

Claim 25

A pulsed chemical vapor deposition method comprising: providing a source of microwave radiation proximate a reaction chamber; placing a substrate within the reaction chamber; flowing one or more precursors into the chamber to form a first layer that is more than one monolayer thick on the substrate; the one or more precursors not being exposed to microwave radiation from the source prior to or during the formation of the first layer, the first layer comprising at least a fragment of at least one of the one or more precursors; after forming the first layer, removing substantially all of the at least one precursor from within the chamber; after the removing of substantially all of the at least one precursor, exposing the first layer to microwave radiation within the reaction chamber from the source to chemically change the first layer; and after exposing the first layer to microwave radiation, and in an absence of microwave exposure, flowing the at least one precursor into the chamber and depositing at least a fragment of the at least one precursor to form a second layer over the first layer.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22 wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor substrate.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one precursor comprises at least two precursors which chemically react with one another in forming the layer.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 further comprising utilizing the microwave radiation to heat the substrate while the substrate is within the reaction chamber.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22 further comprising heating the substrate within the reaction chamber with energy provided in addition to the microwave radiation.