Energy conversion and storage films and devices by physical vapor deposition of titanium and titanium oxides and sub-oxides

• US 20040259305A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Demaray LLC
• Original Assignee: Springworks, LLC (Petters Group Worldwide LLC)
• Inventors: Demaray, Richard E., Narasimhan, Mukundan, Milonopoulou, Vassiliki, Zhang, Hong Mei
• Granted Patent: US 7,238,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/240
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0036 Reactive sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/083 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/345 using substrate bias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02186 the material containing titanium, e.g. TiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02192 the material containing at least one rare earth metal element, e.g. oxides of lanthanides, scandium or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02194 the material containing more than one metal element
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02266 deposition by physical ablation of a target, e.g. sputtering, reactive sputtering, physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2855 by physical means, e.g. sputtering, evaporation H01L21/28518 - H01L21/28537 and H01L21/28568 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31604 Deposition from a gas or vapour H01L21/31691, H01L21/31695 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7687 Thin films associated with contacts of capacitors

Abstract

High density oxide films are deposited by a pulsed-DC, biased, reactive sputtering process from a titanium containing target to form high quality titanium containing oxide films. A method of forming a titanium based layer or film according to the present invention includes depositing a layer of titanium containing oxide by pulsed-DC, biased reactive sputtering process on a substrate. In some embodiments, the layer is TiO₂. In some embodiments, the layer is a sub-oxide of Titanium. In some embodiments, the layer is Ti_xO_y wherein x is between about 1 and about 4 and y is between about 1 and about 7. In some embodiments, the layer can be doped with one or more rare-earth ions. Such layers are useful in energy and charge storage, and energy conversion technologies.

Claims

1. A method of forming a titanium based layer, comprising:

depositing a layer of titanium containing oxide by pulsed-DC, biased reactive sputtering process on a substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is TiO₂.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the figure of merit of the layer is greater than 50.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one rare-earth ion includes erbium.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a light-emitting device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the layer is an optically active layer deposited on a light-emitting device.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the layer is an optically active layer applied to a light-emitting device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is a sub-oxide of Titanium.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the figure of merit of the layer is greater than 50.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one rare-earth ion includes erbium.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a light-emitting device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the layer is an optically active layer deposited on a light-emitting device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the layer is an optically active layer applied to a light-emitting device.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer is a protective layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the protective layer is a catalytic layer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the protective layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is Ti_xO_y wherein x is between about 1 and about 4 and y is between about 1 and about 7.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the figure of merit of the layer is greater than 50.

25. The method of claim 23, further including depositing an TiO₂ layer on the layer wherein the layer and the TiO₂ layers are deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor with decreased roll-off characteristics with decreasing thickness of the TiO₂ layer.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the TiO₂ layer is an amorphous layer deposited by a pulsed DC, biased, reactive ion process.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one rare-earth ion includes erbium.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a light-emitting device.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the layer is an optically active layer deposited on a light-emitting device.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the layer is an optically active layer applied to a light-emitting device.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the layer is a conducting oxide.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the substrate is a conducting electrode and the layer is a protective layer.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the protective layer is a catalytic layer.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the protective layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the substrate is a dielectric and the layer is a protective layer.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the protective layer is a catalytic layer.

38. The method of claim 1, further including

controlling the temperature of the substrate during deposition.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein controlling the temperature includes active temperature control.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is an amorphous layer.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a transistor structure.

42. A titanium based layer, comprising:

a layer compounded from titanium and oxygen deposited by pulsed-DC, biased reactive sputtering process on a substrate.

43. The layer of claim 42, wherein the layer is TiO₂.

44. The layer of claim 43, wherein the figure of merit of the layer is greater than 50.

45. The layer of claim 43, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

46. The layer of claim 43, wherein the layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

47. The layer of claim 46, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

48. The layer of claim 46, wherein the at least one rare-earth ion includes erbium.

49. The layer of claim 46, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a light-emitting device.

50. The layer of claim 46, wherein the layer is an optically active layer deposited on a light-emitting device.

51. The layer of claim 46, wherein the layer is an optically active layer applied to a light-emitting device.

52. The layer of claim 42, wherein the layer is sub-oxide of Titanium.

53. The layer of claim 52, wherein the figure of merit is greater than 50.

54. The layer of claim 52, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

55. The layer of claim 52, wherein the layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

56. The layer of claim 55, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor.

57. The layer of claim 55, wherein the at least one rare-earth ion includes erbium.

58. The layer of claim 55, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a light-emitting device.

59. The layer of claim 55, wherein the layer is an optically active layer deposited on a light-emitting device.

60. The layer of claim 55, wherein the layer is an optically active layer applied to a light-emitting device.

61. The layer of claim 43, wherein the layer is a protective layer.

62. The layer of claim 61, wherein the protective layer is a catalytic layer.

63. The layer of claim 61, wherein the protective layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

64. The layer of claim 42, wherein the layer is Ti_xO_y wherein x is between about 1 and about 4 and y is between about 1 and about 7.

65. The layer of claim 64, wherein the figure of merit is greater than 50.

66. The layer of claim 64, further including depositing an TiO₂ layer on the layer wherein the layer and the TiO₂ layers are deposited between conducting layers to form a capacitor with decreased roll-off characteristics with decreasing thickness of the TiO₂ layer.

67. The layer of claim 64, wherein the TiO₂ layer is an amorphous layer deposited by a pulsed DC, biased, reactive ion process.

68. The layer of claim 64, wherein the layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

69. The layer of claim 68, wherein the at least one rare-earth ion includes erbium.

70. The layer of claim 68, wherein the layer is deposited between conducting layers to form a light-emitting device.

71. The layer of claim 68, wherein the layer is an optically active layer deposited on a light-emitting device.

72. The layer of claim 68, wherein the layer is an optically active layer applied to a light-emitting device.

73. The layer of claim 64, wherein the layer is a conducting oxide.

74. The layer of claim 73, wherein the substrate is a conducting electrode and the layer is a protective layer.

75. The layer of claim 74, wherein the protective layer is a catalytic layer.

76. The layer of claim 74, wherein the protective layer includes at least one rare-earth ion.

77. The layer of claim 73, wherein the substrate is a dielectric and the layer is a protective layer.

78. The layer of claim 77, wherein the protective layer is a catalytic layer.

79. The layer of claim 42, further including

controlling the temperature of the substrate during deposition.

80. The layer of claim 79, wherein controlling the temperature includes active temperature control.

81. The layer of claim 42, wherein the substrate includes a transistor structure.

82. The layer of claim 42, wherein the layer is an amorphous layer.

83. A target, comprising:

hipped TiO having composition TiO.

84. The target of claim 83, further including at least one rare-earth dopant.

85. A method of forming a target, comprising:

forming a TiO powder;

mixing the TiO powder to form a mix;

hipping the mix under a controlled atmosphere to form tiles; and

forming a target from the tiles.

86. The method of claim 85, further including mixing at least one rare-earth oxide powder with the mix.

87. The method of claim 86, wherein the at least one rare-earth oxide includes erbium oxide.