Smoothing agents to enhance nucleation density in thin film chemical vapor deposition

US8846146B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois · US

Inventors

• John R. Abelson · Urbana, US
• Gregory S. Girolami · Champaign, US
• Shaista Babar · Hillsboro, US
• Navneet Kumar · Bengaluru, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 31, 2011
• Grant date: Sep 30, 2014
• Expiry date: Oct 31, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C23C16/18
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for making structures, including nanosized and microsized thin film structures that exhibit a high degree of smoothness useful for applications in microelectronics. Deposition processing of the invention utilize smoothing agents capable of selectively adjusting the relative rates of processes involved in thin film formation and growth to access enhanced nucleation densities resulting in smooth thin film structures, including ultrathin (e.g., <10 nm) smooth films.