DETECTION OF ALUMINUM PARTICLES DURING THE CHEMICAL VAPOR-DEPOSITION OF ALUMINUM FILMS USING TERTIARYAMINE COMPLEXES OF ALANE (AIH3)

Two methods of analyzing particles were interfaced to a low pressure chemical vapor desposition (CVD) reactor to evaluate whether or not particles were formed in the gas phase during the growth of aluminum films using tertiaryamine complexes of alane. A laser light scattering particle counter was used to detect large (> 200 nm) particles in real time and established that the appearance of particles corresponded to the flow of precursor into the CVD reactor. A particle impaction system was used to collect particles (> 20 nm) for analysis using analytical electron microscopy and electron diffraction. This established that the particles were crystalline aluminum and that the particle sizes ranged from 20-700 nm. The median size was 85 nm.