DEPOSITION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COATING A SUBSTRATE SURFACE - Patent application

Abstract

The present invention relates to a deposition system (200) for coating a surface (22) of a substrate (20) with a layer (40) comprising one or more layer materials (42), the deposition system (200) comprising a reaction chamber (10) enclosing a reaction volume (12) that is sealable from the ambient atmosphere (120), a gas system (16) having one or more atmosphere ports (18) for supplying an adjustable reaction atmosphere (122) within the reaction volume (12), a positioning means (24) for positioning the substrate (20) within the reaction volume (12), and a substrate heating means (30) for heating the substrate (20). The present invention also relates to a method for coating a surface (22) of a substrate (20) with a layer (40) comprising one or more layer materials (42) in the deposition system (200).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a deposition system for coating a surface of a substrate with a layer comprising one or more layer materials, the deposition system comprising a reaction chamber enclosing a reaction volume that is sealable against the surrounding atmosphere, a gas system having one or more atmosphere ports for providing an adjustable reaction atmosphere in the reaction volume, positioning means for positioning the substrate in the reaction volume, and substrate heating means for heating the substrate.Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for coating a surface of a substrate with a layer comprising one or more layer materials in a deposition system according to any of the preceding claims. [Background technology]

[0002] In a system for thermal laser epitaxy (TLE), a laser beam is irradiated onto a source material in a controlled atmosphere provided within a reaction chamber, causing the material to evaporate and / or sublimate from provided source elements, which are then deposited as a layer on a substrate also provided within the reaction chamber.

[0003] In contrast, in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, a substrate is exposed to one or more gas phase precursors that react and / or decompose on the heated substrate surface to produce the desired deposit.

[0004] The above-mentioned methods of coating substrates, TLE and CVD, each have their own advantages as well as disadvantages.

[0005] TLE is highly suitable for the production of ultra-high purity material layers that can be supplied as solid sources, especially metals. This also applies to composite materials where all elemental components can be supplied as solid sources or at least as process gases. Furthermore, TLE is relatively insensitive to the pressure in the reaction chamber and can be used at temperatures up to UHV (10 -12 hPa) to above atmospheric pressure (e.g., 10 4A wide range of pressures can be selected, from 1000 kJ / cm² to over 1000 kJ / cm² (up to 1000 kJ / cm²). The actual substrate temperature can also be selected over a very wide range, from below room temperature to over 2000°C with active cooling. However, TLE is not efficient for mass production because it requires frequent replacement and replenishment of raw materials. Furthermore, some elemental raw materials, such as arsenic and carbon, do not evaporate or sublimate as single atoms, but rather as molecules or chunks, which can cause problems in depositing uniform epitaxial layers. Finally, elements such as oxygen and nitrogen, which are gases under standard conditions, form very stable molecules that are difficult or nearly impossible to decompose in pure TLE systems.

[0006] CVD, on the other hand, is widely used for mass production, for example, in semiconductor device manufacturing, due to its relatively simple implementation, high throughput, and ability to produce high-purity crystalline and epitaxial layers. However, CVD makes it difficult to form abrupt interfaces due to mixing that occurs when switching from one precursor gas mixture to another. Growth of structures at low temperatures is also difficult in CVD systems because the low substrate surface temperature limits the surface mobility of adatoms. While this is a desirable effect, it may not be sufficient to completely decompose the precursor material and may result in the introduction of unwanted impurities. Furthermore, many elements are difficult to synthesize as suitable core precursors, especially when specific temperature ranges must be met for mixed synthesis with other precursors and when considering the potential for reactions between these different precursors. Furthermore, many precursors are highly toxic, raising health and environmental safety concerns. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved deposition system and an improved method for coating the surface of a substrate that do not have the problems of the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved deposition system and an improved method for coating the surface of a substrate that are capable of forming layers on a substrate at high density using a wider range of materials than the prior art, thereby making mass production feasible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The object of the present invention is achieved by the respective independent claims, in particular by a deposition system according to claim 1 and a method for coating the surface of a substrate according to claim 23. Details and advantages explained for the deposition system according to the first aspect of the invention also apply to the method according to the second aspect of the invention, where technically meaningful, and vice versa.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the object of the present invention is achieved by a deposition system for coating a surface of a substrate with a layer comprising one or more layer materials, the deposition system comprising a reaction chamber enclosing a reaction volume that is sealable against the surrounding atmosphere, a gas system having one or more atmosphere ports for supplying an adjustable reaction atmosphere within the reaction volume, positioning means for positioning the substrate within the reaction volume, and substrate heating means for heating the substrate.

[0010] The deposition system according to the present invention comprises two or more source devices configured to supply raw materials constituting at least a part of the one or more layer materials, one or more of the two or more source devices being thermal laser deposition (TLE) sources including source elements for supplying the raw materials and a laser light source for providing a source laser for evaporating and / or sublimating the raw materials, and one or more of the two or more source devices being chemical vapor deposition (CVD) sources including an inlet opening for supplying a gas flow of a precursor gas containing the raw materials into the reaction volume.

[0011] The deposition system according to the present invention includes at least the essential components of deposition systems known in the prior art. Specifically, the deposition system includes a reaction chamber enclosing a reaction volume for the deposition reaction and a placement means for placing and positioning a substrate to be coated within the reaction volume. The reaction chamber can be sealed against the surrounding atmosphere to eliminate harmful effects of the ambient environment on the layer to be deposited on the surface of the substrate. Furthermore, a gas system as part of the deposition system can actively adjust and select the reaction atmosphere within the reaction volume, and an atmospheric port of the gas system is fluidly connected to the reaction volume to supply the reaction atmosphere within the reaction volume. The reaction atmosphere is preferably selected to be appropriate for the layer or layers to be deposited on the surface of the substrate, for example, to provide elemental components of the layer or layers.

[0012] The substrate heating means allows the substrate to be heated to the optimum temperature for a given deposition of a layer. Heating the substrate is advantageous regardless of the type of source device used. For example, selecting an appropriate temperature of the substrate improves the mobility of the components of the layer to be deposited on the substrate surface, thereby facilitating the formation of a preferably defect-free epitaxial layer. Furthermore, when using CVD sources, heating the substrate may be essential, since thermal energy provided by the substrate may be required for the decomposition of the precursor gases used. In the following, the terms "precursor gas" and "precursor" are used synonymously.

[0013] According to the present invention, the deposition system comprises two or more source devices. A source device in the present invention is a device usable in the deposition system to supply raw materials for coating a substrate in a reaction volume. In other words, the source device supplies raw materials, for example, as raw materials embedded in evaporated and / or sublimated raw materials and / or precursor compounds. The raw materials may be supplied by the source devices as elemental components and / or as part of a compound. However, it is also possible to supply actual composite materials as raw materials within the scope of the present invention.

[0014] The deposition system according to the present invention comprises at least two of the source devices described above, but the deposition system is not limited to two source devices and may comprise any number of source devices, substantially limited by the space available within the reaction volume.

[0015] According to the present invention, one of the two or more source devices is a thermal laser deposition (TLE) source, and one of the two or more source devices is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) source. However, there is no particular limit to the number of TLE sources and CVD sources, as long as at least one of each source type is present as a source device in a deposition system according to the present invention. Hereinafter, when referring to a TLE source and a CVD source, respectively, it is always intended to include both a single source and multiple sources.

[0016] Each of the two types of source devices includes corresponding components for supplying each raw material within the reaction volume.

[0017] A TLE source comprises at least a source element supplying a raw material and a respective laser light source supplying a source laser for evaporating and / or sublimating the raw material, although more than one source element and / or source element supplying more than one raw material may also be provided with more than one correspondingly selected laser light source and source laser.

[0018] On the other hand, the CVD source has an inlet opening, which is fluidly connected to the reaction volume. Thus, precursor gases containing raw materials supplied from the CVD source are introduced into the reaction volume as a gas flow through the inlet opening. In the present invention, the term "gas flow" refers to any directional gas flow. However, a CVD source that supplies precursor gases containing two or more raw materials and / or a CVD source that supplies two or more gas flows containing different precursor gases, particularly precursor gases containing different raw materials, is also possible.

[0019] In summary, in the deposition system of the present invention, it is possible to select a source device for any raw material, and in particular, to select whether each raw material is supplied from a TLE source or a CVD source. In particular, when using the deposition system of the present invention, it is possible to activate only the TLE source, only the CVD source, or both the TLE source and the CVD source at a given time. This allows combining the advantages of both source types while simultaneously mitigating the disadvantages of each source type.

[0020] Examples of source devices that may be used for deposition of layers including, but not limited to, pure aluminum (Al), pure niobium (Nb), graphene or diamond-like carbon (C), carbide, niobium nitride (NbN), and aluminum nitride (AlN).

[0021] Layers containing pure Al as the layer material can generally be deposited using both source types. Al is readily available as a solid source and therefore easily implemented in TLE sources. On the other hand, to provide Al as a source element in CVD sources, metal-organic precursors such as trimethylaluminum (TMAl), in which the Al atom is surrounded by three methyl (CO3) ligands containing carbon and hydrogen, can be used. This method works well at substrate temperatures above approximately 400 °C, but at lower substrate temperatures, effective decomposition of the precursor is no longer guaranteed. Furthermore, even under perfect conditions, low levels of carbon contamination remain a persistent problem when using metal-organic precursors in deposition systems based solely on CVD sources and operating at limited substrate temperatures.

[0022] In summary, for layers containing pure aluminum as the layer material, the deposition system according to the present invention uses a TLE source to supply Al as a raw material, taking advantage of the advantages of the TLE method while avoiding the disadvantages of the CVD method.

[0023] No metal-organic precursor has yet been developed for pure niobium as a layer material that is ideally suited for implementation in a TLE source because it is readily available as a solid source element of the metal. Therefore, even for layers that include pure Nb as the layer material, the deposition system according to the present invention uses a TLE source to provide Nb as a raw material.

[0024] Converse examples include the deposition of graphene and diamond layers, both of which have different three-dimensional structures of carbon. Carbon can be readily provided as raw material from a TLE source, in which solid carbon in the form of graphite is sublimated by a source laser. However, the sublimated material consists of chunks of carbon, typically small, two-dimensional graphene flakes. When these carbon chunks come into contact on the surface of the substrate to be coated, they typically do not conform geometrically. Therefore, deposition systems based solely on TLE sources tend to be difficult to deposit graphene and / or diamond-like carbon layers, and producing such layers with high quality is challenging. However, by using a CVD source that supplies methane (CH4) as a precursor, in which hydrogen is released when molecules collide with the heated substrate surface, resulting in the deposition of single carbon atoms on the surface, deposition of high-quality layers containing graphene and / or diamond-like carbon can be readily achieved.

[0025] In summary, for layers containing pure carbon as the layer material, the deposition system of the present invention uses a CVD source to provide CH as a precursor to provide carbon as a raw material, taking advantage of the advantages of the CVD method while avoiding the disadvantages of the TLE method.

[0026] Many other elements, especially nonmetallic solid elements located on the right side of the periodic table (e.g., arsenic (As), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), etc.), also tend to evaporate or sublimate as molecules, and when supplied from a TLE source, they suffer from the drawbacks described above. Therefore, for these raw materials, a CVD source with appropriately selected precursors can also be used as a source device in the deposition system of the present invention.

[0027] On the other hand, when depositing a layer of carbide (a binary composite material consisting of carbon and another elemental component), it is difficult to use only a CVD source because many other elemental components, such as metals and semiconductors such as silicon (Si) for silicon carbide (SiC), are difficult to provide in high purity using a CVD source. However, these other elemental components, particularly metals and semiconductor materials, can be easily provided by a TLE source. Therefore, a major advantage of the deposition system of the present invention is its ability to combine a TLE source and a CVD source in a single deposition process. In the above example, the TLE source provides evaporated and / or sublimated silicon atoms as a source material, and the CVD source provides CH4 as a source material, which serves as a precursor for providing carbon. Both sources combine on the surface of a heated substrate to form the desired layer containing SiC.

[0028] Similar considerations apply to nitrides (e.g., AlN, NbN, etc.). While aluminum and niobium, in the above examples, are metal components, they can be easily supplied from TLE sources. However, the nitrogen component of these nitrides is difficult to supply as a raw material from a TLE source because nitrogen is not a solid. While TLE sources allow the use of nitrogen gas as a process gas within the process volume, a plasma or other active source is required to enhance the reactivity of the nitrogen gas. On the other hand, the opposite is true for CVD sources, where highly reactive nitrogen can be easily supplied as a raw material by using ammonia (NH3) as a precursor. However, as mentioned above, metal components are difficult to supply because carbon contamination of the layer is always associated with them, even when using metal-organic precursors. Furthermore, in the case of niobium, such a precursor has not yet been developed.

[0029] In summary, even in the case of nitrides, the deposition system of the present invention uses both a CVD source for supplying nitrogen as a raw material using NH3 as a precursor, and a TLE source for supplying other elemental components, thereby providing high-quality, substantially defect-free layers using nitrides as layer materials, particularly with respect to carbon contamination.

[0030] In short, the deposition system according to the present invention comprises at least one TLE source and at least one CVD source. Both types of sources can be used alone or in combination. The source to be used can be selected depending on the raw material to be supplied, and the most suitable source type (i.e., TLE source or CVD source) can be selected for each raw material. This makes it possible to combine the advantages of both types of source devices while simultaneously avoiding their disadvantages.

[0031] Furthermore, the deposition apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the inlet opening includes an inlet nozzle. Such an inlet nozzle allows for the formation of a gas flow of a precursor gas of a CVD source. By using the inlet nozzle in the inlet opening, the diameter of the gas flow can be reduced and, in particular, the direction of the gas flow can be adjusted. This allows for a reduction in the amount of precursor gas required.

[0032] Additionally, deposition systems according to the present invention may be configured such that the gas stream further comprises one or more inert carrier gases. These inert carrier gases do not participate in the intended deposition, but may be used to form the gas stream when, for example, the amount of precursor gas is too small to be effectively delivered as a gas stream by itself. This allows for a wider range of deliverable raw material concentrations.

[0033] The deposition system according to the present invention is also characterized in that it includes two or more CVD sources, the inlet openings of which are coupled to a gas manifold having a manifold opening for supplying a combined gas flow of the mixed gas flows of the two or more CVD sources into the reaction volume. By providing such a gas manifold, the advantages of using two or more CVD sources, such as the possibility of simultaneously supplying two different precursors that supply two different raw materials, can be realized without increasing the number of inlet openings required within the reaction volume and the associated space requirements within the reaction volume. In short, the implementation of a gas manifold can simplify the internal layout within the reaction volume.

[0034] In an improved embodiment of the deposition system according to the present invention, the manifold opening includes a manifold nozzle. Similar to an intake nozzle, the manifold nozzle can also form a gas flow of a precursor gas of a CVD source. By using the manifold nozzle at the manifold opening, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the gas flow and, in particular, to adjust the direction of the gas flow. This can reduce the amount of precursor gas required.

[0035] According to another embodiment, the deposition system according to the present invention may be configured such that the average direction of the gas flow is directed towards the surface of the substrate. In other words, the gas flow impinges on the surface of the substrate to be coated. This ensures that the gas flow, and thus the precursor and ultimately the source material, covers the entire surface area of ​​the substrate to be coated well. This improves the uniform deposition of the intended layer on the surface of the substrate.

[0036] The deposition system of the present invention can be further improved by forming an impingement angle between the average direction of the gas flow and the surface of the substrate of between 60° and 120°, preferably 90°. Preferably, the gas flow impinges perpendicularly on the surface of the substrate, resulting in an impingement angle of 90°, since this results in a radially uniform deflection of the gas flow at the surface. However, for most applications, an impingement angle of between 60° and 120° has been found to be sufficient, and in some cases advantageous, with respect to the quality of the layer deposited on the surface of the substrate.

[0037] In another improved embodiment of the deposition system according to the present invention, the inlet opening and / or the manifold opening are configured in the shape of a showerhead. In a manifold opening configured in the shape of a showerhead, one or more precursor gas streams are diffused within the showerhead and sequentially and uniformly directed towards the surface through a plurality of openings. This allows for a very uniform distribution of the gas streams over a large portion, preferably the entire, surface area of ​​the substrate to be coated.

[0038] Furthermore, the deposition system according to the present invention can be further improved by having the showerhead shape enclose the pre-distribution volume having a plurality of exhaust ports on its wall, the pre-distribution volume configured to uniformly distribute the gas flow to the exhaust ports, and the plurality of exhaust ports configured to form the gas flow into a spray cloud directed toward the surface of the substrate. In this embodiment, the pre-distribution volume is used to diffuse one or more gas flows within the showerhead before actually directing the one or more gas flows toward the surface of the substrate. The pre-distribution volume preferably covers an area within the showerhead at least equal to the surface area of ​​the substrate to be coated. The diffused one or more gas flows then flow through the plurality of exhaust ports, thereby forming a spray cloud directed toward the surface of the substrate. The plurality of exhaust ports are preferably uniformly arranged on the wall of the pre-distribution volume to provide a uniform spatial density to the spray cloud.

[0039] The deposition system according to the present invention is further characterized in that the CVD source further comprises an exhaust opening for discharging the gas flow from the reaction volume, and the average direction of the gas flow at the intake opening is directed toward the exhaust opening and / or the average direction of the combined gas flow at the manifold opening is directed toward the exhaust opening. The raw materials supplied from the CVD source are embedded in precursors forming a gas flow. The gas flow may further include one or more carrier gases. Therefore, after the raw materials are deposited on the substrate surface, precursor residues remain in the reaction volume, even when a carrier gas is used. To prevent contamination of the reaction chamber by these unwanted gases and to maintain a constant process pressure of the reaction atmosphere in a dynamic equilibrium state, an exhaust opening can be used as part of each CVD source. The exhaust opening can be fluidly connected to a pumping device for actively discharging unwanted gas components from the reaction volume. Pre-directing the gas flow (the gas flow of a single CVD source or the combined gas flow of a gas manifold) toward the exhaust opening can improve the removal efficiency of unwanted gas components.

[0040] Furthermore, the deposition system according to the invention can be improved in that the exhaust opening comprises an exhaust funnel, which is a device whose opening cross-sectional area decreases along a given flow direction, i.e., is large at the beginning within the reaction volume and then gradually becomes smaller, thereby allowing for particularly efficient collection of unwanted gas components.

[0041] In another improved embodiment of the deposition system according to the present invention, the gas flow and / or the combined gas flow are grazing the surface of the substrate, and in particular, the average direction of the gas flow and / or the combined gas flow is parallel to the surface of the substrate. The gas flow grazing the surface of the substrate, in particular parallel to the surface of the substrate, minimizes reflection of the gas flow from the substrate and prevents interruption of the supply of precursors from the precursor. Because, in most cases, each precursor is emitted perpendicularly from the source elements of the TLE source in a TLE source, this CVD source design allows for spatial separation of the source elements of the TLE source and the gas flow of the CVD source. Unwanted interactions between the two source devices, in particular reactions between components of the gas flow and the source elements of the TLE source and / or the precursors already evaporated and / or sublimated from the TLE source, can be avoided.

[0042] Furthermore, deposition systems according to the present invention can be improved by at least partially integrating the CVD source into a gas system that is fluidly connected to the reaction volume, particularly to provide a suitably selected reaction atmosphere within the reaction volume. By at least partially integrating the CVD source into the gas system, the fluid connections to the reaction volume required to operate the deposition system according to the present invention can be simplified, particularly reducing the number of fluid connections. This applies not only to a single CVD source, but also to two or more CVD sources and / or respective gas manifolds.

[0043] According to another improved embodiment of the deposition system according to the present invention, the one or more ambient ports of the gas system are also used as inlet and / or manifold and / or exhaust openings of the CVD source. By using the already existing one or more ambient ports of the gas system also for the one or more CVD sources, a very simple integration can be realized with little effort. Preferably, one of the ambient ports is used as an inlet and / or manifold opening, and another one of the ambient ports is used as an exhaust opening.

[0044] The deposition system according to the present invention can be further improved by arranging the source element of the TLE source between the inlet opening and the substrate in the reaction chamber to incorporate the raw materials supplied from the TLE source into the gas flow. In other words, the raw materials supplied by evaporation and / or sublimation from the TLE source are directed in the direction of the gas flow rather than toward the surface of the substrate to be coated. This is particularly advantageous in CVD sources that supply high-pressure and / or high-flow gas flows. The raw materials from the TLE source collide with the gas flow, are carried along with the gas flow, and ultimately reach the substrate as part of the gas flow. Raw materials can be supplied simultaneously from both TLE and CVD source types, particularly to improve the relative concentrations of different raw materials.

[0045] Additionally or alternatively, the deposition system of the present invention may be configured such that the source element of the LE source is positioned upstream of the inlet opening in the CVD apparatus to introduce the raw materials supplied from the TLE source into the gas flow. In this embodiment, the raw materials supplied from the TLE source are introduced into the gas flow together with precursors used as raw materials for the CVD source and are sequentially delivered to the surface of the substrate to be coated. For example, the TLE source may be integrated into the showerhead of each CVD source, particularly into the pre-distribution volume of the showerhead. By integrating the TLE source into the CVD source, it is also possible to evaporate and / or sublimate the precursors used by each CVD source. This allows for a particularly compact design of the deposition system of the present invention.

[0046] Additionally or alternatively, the deposition system according to the present invention may be configured such that the source elements of the TLE source are positioned in the reaction chamber facing the surface of the substrate. Within the scope of the present invention, a facing-to-substrate arrangement is particularly intended to mean an arrangement of the source elements of the TLE source in which the average direction of the raw material evaporated and / or sublimated from the TLE source is directed toward the surface of the substrate, preferably at an impingement angle of 90°. This allows for particularly good coverage of the entire surface of the substrate to be coated with the raw material supplied from the TLE source. Positioning the source elements within the reaction chamber is particularly advantageous when a TLE source is used alone as a source device.

[0047] Furthermore, the deposition system according to the present invention is characterized in that the substrate heating means includes a substrate laser light source for supplying a substrate laser beam for heating the substrate. One advantage of using a substrate laser light source for heating the substrate is that only the substrate laser beam needs to be supplied into the reaction volume. Furthermore, other heating means, particularly electrical heating means, which may cause contamination of the deposition layer, can be avoided. Furthermore, because the substrate laser beam can be arbitrarily focused, there is virtually no limit to the temperature that can be provided to the substrate by laser heating. Temperatures of 2000°C or higher can easily be provided.

[0048] According to a further improved embodiment of the deposition apparatus of the present invention, the substrate laser light source is appropriately selected according to the substrate material, since different substrate materials may have different absorption characteristics, the substrate heating efficiency can be improved by appropriately selecting the substrate laser light source.

[0049] In particular, the material of the substrate can be selected from the group consisting of Si, C, Ge, As, Al, O, N, O, Mg, Nd, Ga, Ti, La, Sr, Ta, and combinations thereof, such as the following compounds: SiC, AlN, GaN, Al2O3, MgO, NdGaO3, DyScO3, TbScO3, TiO2, (LaAlO3). 0.3 (Sr2TaAlO6) 0.35 (LSAT), Ga2O3, SrLaAlO4, Y:ZrO2 (YSZ), and SrTiO3 can be used as substrate materials, although the above listed materials and compounds are exemplary only and not limiting.

[0050] Many materials used for substrates efficiently absorb infrared radiation, so the use of a substrate laser source, preferably a CO2 laser, that provides a substrate laser beam in the infrared region, particularly in the infrared region with wavelengths ranging from 1 μm to 10 μm, is advantageous for the wide variety of substrate materials that are available.

[0051] Furthermore, the deposition system according to the present invention is such that the reaction atmosphere is 10-4 From 10 -12 hPa, especially under purely ideal conditions, 10 -8 From 10 -12 The reaction chamber is characterized by a vacuum of 1000 psi (0.014 psi) or 1000 psi (0.001 psi). The vacuum reaction atmosphere provides a particularly clean environment for depositing layers on a substrate. Only materials supplied by the respective source devices used are present in the reaction volume. Thus, highly pure layers can be deposited without contamination by gases that may be present in the reaction chamber as part of the reaction atmosphere.

[0052] According to an alternative embodiment, the deposition system of the present invention is characterized in that the reaction atmosphere is -6 From 10 4 hPa, especially 10 -4 From 10 1 hPa, especially 10 -4 From 10 -2 The deposition system may include a reactive gas having a pressure selected in the range of 1000 psi (1000 psi) or less, selected from the group consisting of oxygen, ozone, plasma-activated oxygen, nitrogen, plasma-activated nitrogen, hydrogen, F, Cl, Br, I, P, S, Se, Hg, or compounds such as NH3, SF6, NO, CH4, and combinations thereof. This list is not limiting, and other suitable process gases may be used in each deposition system. In particular, each reactive gas may be selected depending on the layer material of the layer to be coated; for example, the reactive gas may contain one of the components of the layer material. For example, for a layer containing sapphire (Al2O3), the required aluminum may be supplied from a TLE source, and the required oxygen may be supplied from a reactive atmosphere containing oxygen, ozone, and / or plasma-activated oxygen.

[0053] According to another embodiment of the deposition system of the present invention, the positioning means includes an actuator for moving the substrate relative to the two or more source devices. In other words, the relative position of the surface of the substrate to be coated relative to the two or more source devices can be actively changed, preferably without breaking the sealing of the reaction chamber against the ambient atmosphere. By changing the relative position, the effective amount of each raw material supplied by the two or more source devices at the substrate can be actively adjusted, for example to change the growth rate of the deposition layer.

[0054] The deposition system according to the invention can be further improved by arranging the actuator to rotate the substrate relative to two or more source devices. In this improved embodiment, the average distance between the surface of the substrate and each source device is kept constant, but differences in the distance between different parts of the surface of the substrate and the source devices are averaged out. This results in a particularly uniform layer being deposited on the surface of the substrate.

[0055] To improve uniformity, the substrate can be rotated or moved in a substantially linear fashion, and planetary gear motion of multiple substrates on appropriately equipped substrate manipulators can be used to improve deposition uniformity.

[0056] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the object is achieved by a method of coating a surface of a substrate with a layer comprising one or more layer materials in a deposition system according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0057] The method according to the present invention comprises: a) placing the substrate within the reaction volume; b) sealing the reaction chamber from the ambient atmosphere; Step c) filling the reaction volume with the reaction atmosphere; step d) of heating the substrate; e) supplying the raw materials constituting the one or more layer materials by operating one or more of the one or more source devices; f) depositing the layer on the surface of the substrate; Includes.

[0058] The method according to the second aspect of the invention is intended to be carried out using a deposition system according to the first aspect of the invention, and therefore provides the same features and advantages as those detailed above in relation to the deposition system according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0059] In a first step a) of the method according to the invention, the substrate to be coated is positioned in the reaction volume, in particular by means of a positioning means of the deposition system according to the invention. If the positioning means comprises an actuator, the position of the substrate in the reaction volume, in particular relative to the two or more source devices, can be subsequently changed.

[0060] The reaction chamber and in particular the reaction volume is then sealed against the surrounding atmosphere in step b) of the method according to the invention. The sealing of the reaction volume protects the substrate and the layers subsequently deposited on the surface of the substrate from harmful effects caused by the surrounding atmosphere.

[0061] Furthermore, sealing the reaction volume in step b) allows the reaction volume to be filled with a reaction atmosphere in the next step c). -12 It may be a vacuum with a pressure of 10 Pa or less. -6 Pa to 10 4 Any suitable reactive gas may have a pressure in the range of 1000 psi to 1000 psi. In particular, each reactive gas may be appropriately selected to provide a component of the layer material of the layer to be deposited on the substrate.

[0062] The next step (d) involves heating the substrate. Heating the substrate means, for example, heating the substrate to a suitably selected temperature to improve the mobility of the components of the layer deposited on the surface of the substrate, thereby facilitating the formation of a preferably defect-free epitaxial layer. Furthermore, when using a CVD source, heating the substrate may be essential, since thermal energy provided by the substrate may be required for the decomposition of the precursors used.

[0063] The actual coating of the surface of the substrate is carried out in the last two steps e) and f) of the method according to the invention. In step e), one or more source devices are operated. In other words, in step e), one or more raw materials are supplied to the reaction volume, for example directly as evaporated and / or sublimated elemental components, or as precursors and encapsulated in said precursors.

[0064] Regardless of the type of source device used in step e), the layer is actually deposited on the surface of the substrate. If a TLE source aimed directly at the substrate is used in step e), each raw material can be easily deposited on the surface of the substrate. On the other hand, if a CVD source is used as one of the one or more source devices, the gas flow containing the precursor is directed, for example, at an incident angle that is nearly perpendicular to the surface of the substrate or at a grazing angle, so that the precursor is decomposed by the heated substrate and then the supplied raw material is deposited on the surface of the substrate.

[0065] In summary, after step f) is performed, the surface of the substrate is coated with a layer having a composition intended for the layer materials used. In particular, when using a deposition system according to the first aspect of the present invention to perform the method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the most suitable source device, i.e., a TLE source or a CVD source, can be selected for each component of the intended layer material, thereby activating only a TLE source, only a CVD source, or both a TLE source and a CVD source. This allows the advantages of both source types to be combined while simultaneously mitigating the disadvantages of each source type.

[0066] Furthermore, the method according to the present invention is characterized in that the reaction chamber remains sealed after step b) until the end of step f). By keeping the reaction chamber sealed during all steps of the method according to the present invention, and in particular until the end of step f), it is possible to minimize and preferably completely avoid the adverse effects of the environment, in particular the ambient atmosphere, on the quality of the layer deposited on the surface of the substrate.

[0067] Furthermore, the method may be configured to repeatedly perform steps e) and f), with each repetition of step e) changing the provided raw materials and / or the source device(s) being operated among the one or more source devices. In other words, by performing this embodiment of the method according to the present invention, layers having a multi-layer structure can be provided as layers. In particular, for each layer, the most appropriate source device(s) can be selected. In particular, it is possible to alternate between repeating the execution of step e) using only TLE sources as source devices and repeating the execution of step e) using only CVD sources as source devices.

[0068] According to a further refinement of the method of the present invention, the reaction chamber remains sealed against the ambient atmosphere throughout the repeated execution of steps e) and f). By maintaining the reaction chamber sealed throughout the repeated execution of steps e) and f) of the method of the present invention, particularly until the end of step f), adverse effects of the environment, particularly the ambient atmosphere, on the quality of the layer deposited on the substrate surface can be minimized, and preferably completely avoided. Also, disturbances to the growth process, e.g., due to cooling and subsequent reheating of the substrate, can be avoided. Instead, deposition processes using different source devices can be performed consecutively without interruption or with minimal interruptions required to change growth parameters (e.g., chamber pressure, substrate temperature, source vapor flow rate, precursor gas flow rate, and / or carrier gas flow rate).

[0069] Below, several alternative embodiments of the method according to the present invention are described, in particular in which step e) is carried out in different ways. However, these alternative embodiments relate to a single implementation of step e). Therefore, if step e) is carried out several times in succession in the method according to the present invention, each repeated implementation of step e) can be carried out again as each alternative embodiment described below.

[0070] According to a first alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, in carrying out step e), only one or more TLE sources are used to provide the respective raw materials, this embodiment being particularly suitable for layer materials that can be easily provided as raw materials by a TLE source, such as for example metals or any other elemental material that can be provided as a solid source element.

[0071] According to a second alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, in carrying out step e), only one or more CVD sources are used to supply the respective raw materials. This embodiment is particularly suitable for layer materials that can be easily supplied as raw materials by a CVD source, for example gaseous elements such as nitrogen, or materials that tend to evaporate or sublime as molecules, such as carbon, arsenic, sulfur, phosphorus, etc.

[0072] According to an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention, one or more TLE sources and one or more CVD sources are used to supply the respective raw materials in carrying out step e). This embodiment is particularly suitable for layer materials that are compounds of one or more raw materials readily available from a TLE source and one or more raw materials readily available from a CVD source. As mentioned above, such layer materials are, for example, carbides and nitrides, but also sulfides and phosphides.

[0073] The present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments and with reference to the drawings. In particular, the drawings are as follows: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0074] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a deposition system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing details of a second embodiment of a deposition system according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a deposition system according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of a deposition system according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0075] The present invention will be described below with reference to four exemplary embodiments of a deposition system 200 according to the present invention, each of which is configured to perform a method according to the present invention. Therefore, each deposition system 200 will be described below in conjunction with the method according to the present invention.

[0076] 1 shows a first possible embodiment of a deposition system 200 according to the invention, which has in common with all other embodiments that each deposition system comprises a reaction chamber 10 enclosing a reaction volume 12 and which is further sealable against the surrounding atmosphere 120 (step b) of the method according to the invention).

[0077] Positioning means 24 is present within reaction volume 20 for positioning and positioning substrate 20 to be coated with layer 40 within reaction volume 12. As shown, positioning means 24 may include an actuator 26 for moving, preferably rotating, substrate 20, thereby improving the uniformity and therefore the quality of layer 40. Positioning substrate 20 within reaction chamber 12 constitutes the initial step a) of the method according to the invention.

[0078] Furthermore, the deposition system 200 according to the present invention further comprises substrate heating means 30 for heating the substrate 20, in particular in step d) of the method according to the present invention. A suitable choice of the temperature of the substrate 20 can, for example, improve the mobility of the components of the layer 40 deposited on the surface 22 of the substrate 20, thereby supporting the formation of a preferably defect-free epitaxial layer 40. Furthermore, the thermal energy provided by the substrate 20 may be required for the decomposition of the precursor gas 102 used, as will be explained below.

[0079] Preferably, the substrate heating means 30 may be based on laser heating and in particular comprises a substrate laser source 32 for providing a substrate laser beam 34. As shown, the substrate laser source 32 may be located outside the reaction chamber 10, with coupling means 14 (e.g. a chamber window) allowing the substrate laser beam 34 to be directed into the reaction volume 12. Since the substrate laser beam 34 can be arbitrarily focused, there is virtually no limit to the temperatures that can be provided to the substrate 20 by laser heating. Temperatures of 2000°C or more can easily be provided.

[0080] Furthermore, deposition system 200 comprises a gas system 16. One or more atmosphere ports 18 of gas system 16 are fluidly connected to reaction volume 12. This allows, in particular in connection with the hermeticity of reaction volume 12, gas system 16 to provide, in reaction volume 12, in particular in step c) of the method according to the invention, a selectable reaction atmosphere 122, in particular depending on the layer 40 to be deposited.

[0081] In particular, deposition system 200 is characterized in that it includes at least two source devices 50 for supplying raw materials 52 to be deposited on substrate 20, at least one of the two or more source devices 50 being a TLE source 60 and at least one of the two or more source devices 50 being a CVD source 70. This structural feature of deposition system 200 according to the present invention makes it possible to combine the advantages of both types of source devices 50 while simultaneously avoiding the disadvantages of both the TLE source 60 and the CVD source 70.

[0082] 1 , the TLE source 60 includes source elements 62 that supply each raw material 52, and the source elements 62 may be positioned, for example, in the reaction volume 12 facing the surface 22 of the substrate. A source laser 64 (indicated by an arrow representing the laser beam of the source laser 64 supplied from an external laser source) is coupled into the reaction volume 12 via coupling means 14 and irradiates the source elements 62. This causes each raw material 52 of the TLE source 60 to evaporate and / or sublimate, and then to be deposited on the surface 22 of the substrate 20.

[0083] Meanwhile, the CVD source 70 includes an inlet opening 72, preferably an inlet nozzle 74, for supplying a gas flow 100 into the reaction volume 12, the gas flow 100 including at least precursor gases 102 for supplying each of the raw materials 52 of the CVD source 70. The gas flow 100 may optionally include a carrier gas 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the gas flow 100 supplied from the CVD source 70 is directed toward the surface 22 of the substrate 20 in a direction indicated by an arrow showing the average direction 106 of the gas flow 100.

[0084] At the substrate 20, the source materials 52 combine to form the layer material 42 of the deposited layer 40, whether supplied directly from the TLE source 60 or as part of the precursor gas 102 of the CVD source 70 and decomposed, for example, by the thermal energy of the heated substrate 20. The above operation of the source devices 50 and the subsequent deposition of the supplied source materials 52 as the layer material 42 of the layer 40 constitute the final two steps e) and f) of the method according to the present invention.

[0085] Not limited to the above embodiment, the at least one TLE source 60 and the at least one CVD source 70 present as source devices 50 in all embodiments of deposition system 200 according to the present invention may be operated alone or in combination in step e) of the method according to the present invention. In other words, the most suitable source device 50 can be selected for each layer material 42 of layer 40 to be deposited on substrate 20. In particular, for example, when layer 40 is deposited to have a layer structure in which several different layer materials 42 are deposited one on top of another, steps e) and f) of the method according to the present invention may be performed repeatedly, and in each repetition, the source device 50 to be actually operated can be appropriately selected again depending on the layer material 42 to be deposited.

[0086] Preferably, after being sealed in step b), the reaction chamber 10 remains sealed throughout the remaining steps of the method according to the invention, in particular any steps including repetitions of steps e) and f) above.

[0087] 2 and 3, other possible embodiments of a deposition system 200 according to the present invention are described below. However, these embodiments differ substantially in that each employs a different source device 50. The basic elements of the deposition system 200, such as the reaction chamber 10, the gas system 16, and the positioning means 24, are substantially the same. Therefore, the following describes in detail the different source devices 50 in the illustrated embodiment of the deposition system 200, and for the other elements, please refer to the description of the corresponding elements in FIG. 1.

[0088] 2, a particular embodiment of a CVD source 70, and in particular an inlet opening 72 of the CVD source 70, is shown. The inlet opening 72 is configured in the shape of a showerhead 90. As shown, the showerhead 90 includes a pre-distribution volume 92 for diffusing an incoming gas flow 100, and further includes a precursor 102 and a carrier gas 104 that provide the source material 52. A wall 96 of the pre-distribution volume 92 is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports 94 (only three of which are marked with reference numbers for clarity).

[0089] While CVD source 70 is operating as source device 50 of deposition system 200, gas flow 100 enters pre-distribution volume 92, diffuses, and then flows into reaction volume 12, preferably through all exhaust ports 94, preferably in equal amounts and / or at equal flow rates. This causes gas flow 100 to form a dispersed spray cloud 98 having a mean direction 106 toward surface 22 of substrate 20. This allows for a particularly uniform coating of layer 40 on substrate 20.

[0090] As an additional feature, the illustrated embodiment of the deposition system 200 further includes an additional TLE source 60 integrated into the illustrated CVD source 70 as a source device 50. The source elements 62 containing the respective raw materials 52 of the TLE source 60 are disposed in a pre-distribution volume 92, and a source laser 64 is coupled to the pre-distribution volume 92 via a suitable coupling means 14. This configuration allows the raw materials 52 supplied from the TLE source 60 to be directly evaporated and / or sublimated into the gas flow 100 of the CVD source 70. In other words, the gas flow 100 contains not only the precursor gas 102 that supplies the raw materials 52 of the CVD source 70, but also atoms or molecules of the raw materials 52 supplied from the TLE source 60, and the raw materials 52 supplied from both types of source devices 50 are carried together. Furthermore, although not illustrated, the TLE source 60 may already be used for evaporation and / or sublimation of the precursors 102 of the CVD source 70.

[0091] Figure 3 again shows an embodiment of a deposition system 200 according to the present invention in which the TLE source 60 and the CVD source 70 are separate. As in Figure 1, the TLE source 60 is positioned with its source element 62 facing the substrate 20. For details of this arrangement, see the discussion above regarding Figure 1.

[0092] 1 , the CVD source 70 provides a gas flow 100 having an average direction 106 substantially parallel to the surface 22 of the substrate 20. In other words, the gas flow 100, which includes a precursor gas 102 and a carrier gas 104 that provide the raw material 52 of the CVD source 70, flows in a grazing manner along the surface 22 of the substrate 20. Therefore, the CVD source 70 includes not only an inlet opening 72 but also an exhaust opening 76, which are arranged opposite each other with respect to the substrate 20. In order to more effectively collect the residue of the decomposed precursor 102 and the carrier gas 104, the exhaust opening 76 may be configured as and / or have an exhaust funnel 78.

[0093] As shown, CVD source 60 may preferably be configured to be at least partially integrated into gas system 16. In particular, ambient port 18 of gas system 16 may be used by CVD source 70 as, among other things, inlet opening 72 and exhaust opening 76.

[0094] In another possible embodiment of the CVD source 70 (not shown), the inlet openings may provide a gas flow 100 perpendicular to the substrate 20. Above the substrate 20, the remainder of the gas flow is bent radially outward from the edge of the substrate 20, with appropriately positioned exhaust openings 76 or a single continuous exhaust opening 76 located at that position. In fact, this design is adopted in many modern deposition systems 200 based solely on the CVD source 70. Also possible is a reverse flow direction for the gas flow 100, i.e., a flow direction parallel to the substrate 20 starting from the edge of the substrate 20, and then a flow direction perpendicular to the substrate 20 outward at or near the center of the substrate 20. However, in the latter embodiment, a rotating substrate 20 is advantageous in order to average out any non-uniformities or irregularities in the distribution of the gas flow 100.

[0095] FIG. 4 shows a possible embodiment of a deposition system 200 similar to that shown in FIG. 3. Again, CVD sources 70 provide gas flows substantially parallel to the surface 22 of the substrate 20. However, in this embodiment, the gas flows originate not from a single CVD source 70 but from at least two CVD sources 70. The gas flows 100 from the different CVD sources 70 may differ, particularly in the precursors 102, carrier gases 104, and, most importantly, the source materials 52. These gas flows 100 are mixed in a gas manifold 80 and then delivered to the reaction volume 12 via a common manifold opening 82, specifically a manifold nozzle 84. A shared exhaust opening 76 of one of the CVD sources 70 is located on the opposite side of the substrate 20. Both the manifold opening 82 and the exhaust opening 76 may be configured as part of the gas system 16, particularly using the ambient port 18 already present in the gas system 16. This allows several different source materials 52 from the CVD sources 70 to be delivered to a single gas flow 100.

[0096] Another difference is the placement of the source elements 62 of the TLE source 60 used. In the illustrated embodiment of deposition system 200, the source elements 62 are located within the reaction volume 12 between the inlet opening 72 and the substrate 20. This allows the source material 52 provided by the TLE source 60 to be evaporated and / or sublimated directly into the gas flow 100 of the CVD source 70. Thus, similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the source material 52 of both types of source devices 50 (i.e., the TLE source 60 and the CVD source 70) are carried together in the gas flow 100. This is particularly suitable for high-pressure environments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 10 Reaction Chamber 12 Reaction Volume 14 Coupling means 16 Gas System 18 Atmosphere Port 20 PCB 22 Surface 24 Arrangement means 26 Actuator 30 Substrate heating means 32 Substrate laser light source 34 Substrate laser beam 40 layers 42 layer material 50 Source Device 52 Raw Materials 60 TLE sauce 62 Source Elements 64 Source Laser 70 CVD Source 72 Intake opening 74 Intake nozzle 76 Exhaust opening 78 Exhaust funnel 80 Gas Manifold 82 Manifold opening 84 Manifold nozzle 90 shower head 92 Pre-distribution volume 94 Exhaust port 96 Wall 98 Spray Cloud 100 gas flow 102 Precursor Gas 104 Carrier Gas 106 Average direction 120 Surrounding Atmosphere 122 Reaction Atmosphere 200 Deposition System

Claims

1. 1. A deposition system (200) for coating a surface (22) of a substrate (20) with a layer (40) comprising one or more layer materials (42), comprising: a reaction chamber (10) enclosing a reaction volume (12) that is sealable against the surrounding atmosphere (120); a gas system (16) having one or more atmosphere ports (18) for supplying an adjustable reaction atmosphere (122) within the reaction volume (12); a positioning means (24) for positioning the substrate (20) within the reaction volume (12); and a substrate heating means (30) for heating the substrate (20), The deposition system (200) further comprises two or more source devices (50) configured to supply respective raw materials (52) that constitute at least a portion of the one or more layer materials (42); one or more of the two or more source devices (50) is a thermal laser deposition (TLE) source (60) including a source element (62) for supplying each of the raw materials (52) and a laser light source for supplying a source laser (64) for evaporating and / or sublimating the raw materials (52); One or more of the two or more source devices (50) is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) source (70) including an inlet opening (72) for supplying a gas flow (100) of a precursor gas (102) containing each of the raw materials (52) into the reaction volume (12). A deposition system (200).

2. The deposition system (200) of claim 1, wherein the intake opening (72) comprises an intake nozzle (74).

3. The deposition system (200) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas flow (10) further comprises one or more inert carrier gases (104).

4. The deposition system (200) comprises two or more CVD sources (70); 4. The deposition system (200) of claim 1, wherein the inlet openings (72) of the two or more CVD sources (70) are coupled to a gas manifold (80) having a manifold opening (82) for supplying a combined gas flow (100) of the mixed gas flows (100) of the two or more CVD sources (70) into the reaction volume (12).

5. The deposition system (200) of claim 4, wherein the manifold opening (82) comprises a manifold nozzle (84).

6. The deposition system (200) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an average direction (106) of the gas flow (100) is directed towards the surface (22) of the substrate (20).

7. 7. The deposition system (200) of claim 6, wherein an impingement angle between the average direction (106) of the gas flow (100) and the surface (22) of the substrate (20) is between 60° and 120°, preferably 90°.

8. The deposition system (200) of claim 6 or 7, wherein the inlet opening (72) and / or the manifold opening (82) are configured in the shape of a showerhead (90).

9. The showerhead (90) configuration encloses a pre-distribution volume (92) having a plurality of exhaust ports (94) in its wall (96); the pre-distribution volume (92) is configured to uniformly distribute the gas flow (100) to the exhaust outlet (94); 9. The deposition system (200) of claim 8, wherein the plurality of exhaust ports (94) are configured to form the gas flow (100) into a spray cloud (98) directed toward the surface (22) of the substrate (20).

10. the CVD source (70) further comprises an exhaust opening (76) for exhausting the gas stream (100) from the reaction volume (12); the mean direction (106) of the gas flow (100) at the inlet opening (72) is directed towards the exhaust opening (76); and / or 10. The deposition system (200) of claim 1, wherein a mean direction (106) of the combined gas flow (100) at the manifold opening (82) is directed toward the exhaust opening (76).

11. The deposition system (200) of claim 10, wherein the exhaust opening (76) comprises an exhaust funnel (78).

12. 12. The deposition system (200) of claim 10 or 11, wherein the gas flow (100) and / or the combined gas flow (100) flows in a grazed manner over the surface (22) of the substrate (20), in particular the average direction (106) of the gas flow (100) and / or the combined gas flow (100) is parallel to the surface (22) of the substrate (20).

13. The deposition system (200) of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the CVD source (70) is at least partially integrated into the gas system (16).

14. 14. The deposition system (200) of claim 13, wherein the one or more ambient ports (18) of the gas system (16) are also used as intake openings (72) and / or manifold openings (82) and / or exhaust openings (76) of the CVD source (70).

15. 15. The deposition system (200) of claim 10, wherein the source element (62) of the TLE source (60) is positioned between the intake opening (72) in the reaction chamber (10) and the substrate (20) to introduce the raw materials (52) supplied from the TLE source (60) into the gas flow (100).

16. 16. The deposition system (200) of claim 1, wherein the source element (62) of the TLE source (60) is positioned within the CVD apparatus upstream of the intake opening (72) to introduce the raw materials (52) supplied from the TLE source (60) into the gas flow (100).

17. 17. The deposition system (200) of claim 1, wherein the source element (62) of the TLE source (60) is positioned opposite the surface (22) of the substrate (20) within the reaction chamber (10).

18. 18. The deposition system (200) of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the substrate heating means (30) comprises a substrate laser light source (32) for providing a substrate laser beam (34) for heating the substrate (20).

19. 20. The deposition system (200) of claim 18, wherein the substrate laser light source (32) is appropriately selected depending on the substrate (20) material of the substrate (20).

20. The reaction atmosphere (122) is 10 -4 From 10 -12 hPa, especially under pure ideal conditions, 10 -8 From 10 -12 20. The deposition system (200) of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the deposition system (200) is in a vacuum of 0.15 psi or less.

21. The reaction atmosphere (122) is 10 -6 From 10 4 hPa, especially 10 -4 From 10 1 hPa, especially 10 -4 From 10 -2 a reactant gas having a pressure selected in the range of 0.1 psi to 0.5 psi; The reactive gas may be oxygen, ozone, plasma activated oxygen, nitrogen, plasma activated nitrogen, hydrogen, F, Cl, Br, I, P, S, Se, Hg, or NH 3 , S.F. 6 , N 2 O, CH 4 20. The deposition system (200) of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the compound is selected from the group comprising:

22. 22. The deposition system (200) of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the positioning means (24) comprises an actuator (26) for moving the substrate (20) relative to the two or more source devices (50).

23. 23. The deposition system (200) of claim 22, wherein the actuator (26) is configured to rotate the substrate (20) relative to the two or more source devices (50).

24. 24. A method for coating a surface (22) of a substrate (20) with a layer (40) comprising one or more layer materials (42) in a deposition system (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 23, comprising: a) placing said substrate (20) in said reaction volume (12); b) sealing the reaction chamber (10) from the surrounding atmosphere (120); Step c) filling the reaction volume (12) with the reaction atmosphere (122); a step d) of heating the substrate (20); e) operating one or more of the one or more source devices (50) to provide each raw material (52) that constitutes the one or more layer materials (42); Step f) depositing said layer (40) on said surface (22) of said substrate (20); A method comprising:

25. 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the reaction chamber (10) remains sealed after step b) is performed until step f) is completed.

26. 26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein steps e) and f) are repeatedly performed, and in each repetition of step e) each raw material (52) provided and / or the source device (50) operated among the one or more source devices (50) is changed.

27. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the reaction chamber (10) remains sealed from the ambient atmosphere (120) during the repeated performance of steps e) and f).

28. 28. The method of any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein in performing step e), only one or more TLE sources (60) are used to supply each of the raw materials (52).

29. 28. The method of any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein in performing step e), only one or more CVD sources (70) are used to supply each of the source materials (52).

30. 28. The method of any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein in performing step e), one or more TLE sources (60) and one or more CVD sources (70) are used to supply the respective raw materials (52).

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