Methods of depositing a semiconductor material on a substrate

Abstract

Methods of depositing material on a substrate include forming a precursor gas and a byproduct from a source gas within a thermalizing gas injector. The byproduct may be reacted with a liquid reagent to form additional precursor gas, which may be injected from the thermalizing gas injector into a reaction chamber. Thermalizing gas injectors for injecting gas into a reaction chamber of a deposition system may include an inlet, a thermalizing conduit, a liquid container configured to hold a liquid reagent therein, and an outlet. A pathway may extend from the inlet, through the thermalizing conduit to an interior space within the liquid container, and from the interior space within the liquid container to the outlet. The thermalizing conduit may have a length that is greater than a shortest distance between the inlet and the liquid container. Deposition systems may include one or more such thermalizing gas injectors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of depositing semiconductor material on a substrate, the method comprising:
 introducing a source gas into a thermalizing gas injector;   thermally decomposing the source gas within the thermalizing gas injector to form a precursor gas and a byproduct;   reacting the byproduct with a liquid reagent within the thermalizing gas injector to form additional precursor gas;   injecting the precursor gas and the additional precursor gas from the thermalizing gas injector into a space within a reaction chamber; and   depositing material on the substrate within the reaction chamber using the precursor gas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing the source gas into the thermalizing gas injector comprises introducing a carrier gas and at least one of GaCl 3 , InCl 3 , and AlCl 3  into the thermalizing gas injector. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein introducing a carrier gas and at least one of GaCl 3 , InCl 3 , and AlCl 3  into the thermalizing gas injector comprises introducing H 2  and GaCl 3  into the thermalizing gas injector. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein thermally decomposing the source gas within the thermalizing gas injector to form the precursor gas and the byproduct comprises decomposing the at least one of GaCl 3 , InCl 3 , and AlCl 3  and H 2  to form at least one of GaCl, InCl, and AlCl and HCl. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein decomposing the at least one of GaCl 3 , InCl 3 , and AlCl 3  and H 2  to form at least one of GaCl, InCl, and AlCl and HCl comprises decomposing GaCl 3  and H 2  to form GaCl and HCl. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein reacting the byproduct with the liquid reagent within the thermalizing gas injector to form additional precursor gas comprises reacting the HCl with liquid gallium to form additional GaCl. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 introducing another source gas comprising at least one of InCl 3  and AlCl 3  into another thermalizing gas injector;   thermally decomposing the another source gas within the another thermalizing gas injector to form a precursor gas comprising at least one of InCl and AlCl and a byproduct comprising chlorine;   reacting the byproduct comprising chlorine with a liquid reagent comprising one of liquid indium and liquid aluminum within the another thermalizing gas injector to form additional precursor gas comprising at least one of additional InCl and additional AlCl; and   injecting the precursor gas and the additional precursor gas from the another thermalizing gas injector into the space within the reaction chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein depositing the material on the substrate within the reaction chamber using the precursor gas comprises depositing at least one of InGaN and AlGaN. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein reacting the byproduct with the liquid reagent within the thermalizing gas injector to form additional precursor gas comprises reacting the HCl with at least one of liquid gallium, liquid indium, and liquid aluminum to form at least one of additional GaCl, additional InCl, and additional AlCl. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the liquid reagent to comprise a liquid metal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the liquid reagent to comprise at least one of liquid gallium, liquid indium, and liquid aluminum. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 introducing another source gas into another gas injector;   reacting the another source gas with another liquid reagent within the another gas injector to form a dopant precursor gas;   injecting the dopant precursor gas from the another gas injector into the space within the reaction chamber; and   doping the material deposited on the substrate within the reaction chamber using the dopant precursor gas.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein introducing the another source gas into the another gas injector comprises introducing gaseous HCl into the another gas injector. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising selecting the another liquid reagent to comprise at least one of liquid iron, liquid indium, and liquid aluminum.