Electromagnetically Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition for Modification of Thin Film Properties through in Situ Substrate Biasing

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is broadly used for thin, conformal film growth in microelectronics, photovoltaics, and other industries. Enhanced film properties are required for advancement of device performance. Use of electrical current in situ during deposition to drive material properties of films produced by ALD toward a desired state (such as higher conductivity) will increase the utility of thin film materials for device applications. In an ALD reactor bias is applied directly to substrates during ALD precursor pulses. Higher conductivity and growth rates were observed for samples grown with ALD enhanced by in situ substrate biasing. Thicknesses were determined via spectroscopic ellipsometry, uniformity was investigated by atomic force microscopy, and crystallinity by x-ray diffraction. These systems are computationally investigated to probe the mechanism by which the ALD processes are enhanced.