Patent ID: 8722548

Claim:
A method comprising: forming a film comprising at least one first monolayer of a first material on a first surface of a substrate comprised of a substrate material by performing a first plurality of cycles of atomic layer deposition, the film having a second surface that is away from and not in contact with the first surface; thereafter, annealing the film under a first inert atmosphere at a first temperature between about 650° C. and about 900° C. forming a concentration gradient of the substrate material in the first material where there is intermixing of the substrate material with the first material where there is a non-zero amount of the substrate material at the second surface; thereafter, forming at least one second monolayer of a second material by performing a second plurality of cycles of atomic layer deposition, where the formed at least one second monolayer of the second material at least partially overlies the annealed film; and thereafter, annealing the formed at least one second monolayer of the second material under a second inert atmosphere at a second temperature between about 650° C. and about 900° C.