Systems and Methods for Depositing a Layer on a Substrate Using Atomic Oxygen

A layer is deposited on a substrate using atomic oxygen in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The gases used to generate atomic oxygen are mixed and heated within a gas activation chamber. In one embodiment, the gas activation chamber is positioned beneath a showerhead of a spatial ALD system for receiving one or more gases injected from the showerhead. The gases are mixed within the gas activation chamber and passed over a hot surface to produce reaction byproducts, including atomic oxygen. The hot surface heats the gas mixture to a high temperature (e.g., above 550 C) sufficient to produce meaningful concentrations of atomic oxygen. The gas activation chamber then transports the heated gas mixture containing the atomic oxygen to the substrate surface at an elevated temperature to minimize recombination of the atomic oxygen, the high temperature of the gas activation chamber being higher than the temperature of the substrate.