Patent ID: 8592328

Claim:
A method of forming a silicon nitride material on a substrate in a reaction chamber, comprising: periodically exposing the substrate to a vapor phase flow of a halogen-free silicon-containing reactant wherein the halogen-free silicon containing reactant is adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate; exposing the substrate to a vapor phase flow of a first nitrogen-containing reactant wherein the nitrogen-containing reactant is adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate; exposing the substrate to a vapor phase flow of a second nitrogen-containing reactant that is different from the first nitrogen-containing reactant, wherein the first nitrogen-containing reactant is carbon-free and the second nitrogen-containing reactant contains carbon; and periodically igniting a plasma in the reaction chamber when vapor phase nitrogen-containing reactant is present in the reaction chamber and the vapor phase flow of the halogen-free silicon-containing reactant has ceased.