Low Temperature Deposition of SiO ₂ and SiOC Films Using Hydrogen Peroxide as Oxidant

Hydrogen peroxide is a little explored oxidant for the deposition of silicon dioxide or silicon oxycarbide films. In this work, we discuss the atomic layer deposition of SiO 2 and SiOC films using a variety of hydrogen peroxide sources, demonstrating the critical impact of water on the growth rate and properties of the resulting silicon-containing films. It will be shown that with the correct choice of hydrogen peroxide source and silicon precursor, SiO 2 and SiOC films can be grown at ambient temperatures in a thermal ALD process . Furthermore, the low temperatures and specific oxidation conditions of these processes afford ample opportunity for selective growth on a variety of substrate combinations, such as dielectric-on-dielectric, dielectric-on-metal, and dielectric-on-semiconductor. Plasma-based and thermal densification of the resulting films will also be discussed, as will deposition of SiO 2 on oxidatively or temperature sensitive substrates such as polymer films and pharmaceutical compounds.