Patent ID: 7763311

Claim:
A method of depositing a thin film on a substrate in a vapor deposition system, comprising, the sequence of steps of: providing said substrate within said vapor deposition system; contacting said substrate to an upper surface of a substrate holder configured to support said substrate in said vapor deposition system; providing a first gaseous atmosphere in said vapor deposition system by introducing an inert gas therein and without introducing a film precursor vapor therein; heating said substrate in said first gaseous atmosphere to a deposition temperature; displacing at least a portion of said first gaseous atmosphere in said vapor deposition system to establish a second gaseous atmosphere by introducing a carrier gas therein comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and without introducing a film precursor vapor therein; adjusting said second gaseous atmosphere to a deposition pressure; maintaining said second gaseous atmosphere at said deposition pressure for a period of time; and following said period of time, performing a deposition process at said deposition temperature and said deposition pressure within said vapor deposition system to deposit a film on said substrate by introducing a metal carbonyl film precursor vapor to said vapor deposition system, wherein said deposition process comprises an addition of said metal carbonyl film precursor vapor to a gaseous composition that is substantially the same as the composition of said second gaseous atmosphere.