Patent ID: 7709386

Claim:
An atomic layer deposition method, comprising the steps of: placing a semiconductor substrate in an atomic layer deposition chamber; flowing a first precursor gas to the semiconductor substrate within the atomic layer deposition chamber to form a first discrete monolayer on the semiconductor substrate; flowing an inert purge gas to the semiconductor substrate within the atomic layer deposition chamber to remove the first precursor gas which does not form the first monolayer on the semiconductor substrate; flowing a second precursor gas to the atomic layer deposition chamber to react with the first precursor gas which forms the first island, thereby forming a first discrete compound monolayer; flowing an inert purge gas to the semiconductor substrate within the atomic layer deposition chamber to remove the second precursor gas that does not react with the first precursor gas and the byproduct of the reaction between the first and the second precursor gases; flowing a third precursor gas to the semiconductor substrate within the atomic layer deposition chamber to form a third monolayer above the semiconductor substrate, there is a discrete distribution between the atoms/molecules of the third precursor gas forming the third monolayer and the atoms/molecules of the first precursor gas forming the first monolayer; flowing an inert purge gas to the atomic layer deposition chamber to remove the third precursor gas that does not form the third monolayer; flowing a fourth precursor gas to the atomic layer deposition chamber to react with the third precursor gas that has formed the third monolayer, thereby forming a second discrete compound monolayer; flowing an inert purge gas to the atomic layer deposition chamber to remove the fourth precursor gas that does not react with the third monolayer and the byproduct of the reaction between the third and the fourth precursor gases.