Patent ID: 8685494

Claim:
An atomic layer deposition (ALD) method of forming a thin film on a surface of a product, the method comprising: loading the product into a processing chamber; supplying a gaseous adsorbate, comprising a reactant capable of reacting with a metal element-containing precursor of the thin film, into the processing chamber; after an amount of the adsorbate has been adsorbed at the surface of the product, supplying the precursor of the thin film into the processing chamber in an amount in excess of that which will react with the adsorbate at the surface of the product such that some of the precursor reacts with the adsorbate to form material of the thin film on the surface while another portion of the precursor is adsorbed and remains non-reacted at the surface of the product; subsequently performing a purging process by introducing a purge gas into the processing chamber; subsequently creating a reaction using the non-reacted precursor adsorbed at the surface of the product by supplying more of the reactant into the processing chamber, wherein the reaction forms a film comprising an element, selected from the group consisting of metals, on the surface of the product; and subsequently performing another purging process by introducing a purge gas into the processing chamber.