Atomic layer deposition of tantalum-containing materials using the tantalum precursor taimata

• US 20060019495A1
• Filed: 02/19/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Chung, Hua, Wang, Rongjun, Marcadal, Christophe, Maity, Nirmalya
• Granted Patent: US 7,241,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/683
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/30 Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45553 characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28079 the final conductor layer next to the insulator being a single metal, e.g. Ta, W, Mo, Al
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76864 Thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/495 the conductor material next to the insulator being a simple metal, e.g. W, Mo H01L29/4908, H01L29/4983 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4958 with a multiple layer structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/517 the insulating material comprising a metallic compound, e.g. metal oxide, metal silicate H01L29/518 takes precedence

Abstract

In one example of the invention, a method for depositing a tantalum-containing material on a substrate in a process chamber is provided which includes exposing the substrate to a tantalum precursor that contains TAIMATA and to at least one secondary precursor to deposit a tantalum-containing film during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The ALD process is repeated until the tantalum-containing film is deposited with a predetermined thickness. Usually, the TAIMATA is preheated prior pulsing the tantalum precursor into the process chamber. A metal layer, such as tungsten or copper, may be deposited on the tantalum-containing material. The tantalum-containing material may include tantalum, tantalum nitride, tantalum silicon nitride, tantalum boron nitride, tantalum phosphorous nitride or tantalum oxynitride. The tantalum-containing material may be deposited as a barrier or adhesion layer within a via or as a gate electrode material within a source/drain device.

Claims

1. A method for forming a tantalum barrier layer on a substrate disposed in a process chamber, comprising:

heating a tantalum precursor comprising TAIMATA to a predetermined temperature to form a tantalum-containing gas;

flowing the tantalum-containing gas into the process chamber;

adsorbing the tantalum-containing gas on the substrate to form a tantalum-containing layer;

purging the process chamber with a purge gas;

flowing at least one secondary element-containing gas into the process chamber;

reacting the at least one secondary element-containing gas with the tantalum-containing layer to form the tantalum barrier layer; and

purging the process chamber with the purge gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is in a range from about 50°

C. to about 80°

C.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature in a range from about 250°

C. to about 400°

C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one secondary element-containing gas comprises a compound selected from a nitrogen precursor, silicon precursor, a boron precursor, a phosphorous precursor or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, atomic nitrogen, hydrazine, methylhydrazine, dimethylhydrazine, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein a silicon precursor is selected from the group consisting of silane, disilane, methylsilane, hexamethyidisilane, tetrachlorosilane, hexachlorodisilane, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the tantalum barrier layer is formed with a thickness in a range from about 10 Å

to about 30 Å

.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a metal layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, tungsten, aluminum, tantalum, titanium, ruthenium, alloys thereof or combinations thereof is deposited on the tantalum barrier layer.

9. A method for forming a tantalum-containing material on a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, comprising:

forming a tantalum-containing gas by heating a liquid TAIMATA precursor in a vaporizer with a carrier gas to a predetermined temperature; and

exposing the substrate to an atomic layer deposition process comprising a pulse of the tantalum-containing gas, a pulse of a nitrogen-containing gas and a pulse of a silicon-containing gas; and

forming the tantalum-containing material to a predetermined thickness by repeating the atomic layer deposition process.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined temperature is in a range from about 50°

C. to about 80°

C.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature in a range from about 250°

C. to about 400°

C.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the nitrogen-containing gas comprises a nitrogen precursor selected from the group consisting of ammonia, atomic nitrogen, hydrazine, methylhydrazine, dimethylhydrazine, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the silicon-containing gas comprises a silicon precursor selected from the group consisting of silane, disilane, methylsilane, hexamethyldisilane, tetrachlorosilane, hexachlorodisilane, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined thickness is in a range from about 10 Å

to about 30 Å

.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a metal layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, tungsten, aluminum, tantalum, titanium, ruthenium, alloys thereof or combinations thereof is deposited on the tantalum-containing material.

16. A method for forming a device by depositing a tantalum-containing material on a substrate in a process chamber, comprising:

exposing the substrate sequentially to a pulse of a tantalum-containing gas comprising TAIMATA and to a pulse of a process gas comprising at least one secondary precursor;

depositing a tantalum-containing film on the substrate;

repeating the exposing step until the tantalum-containing film is at a predetermined thickness; and

depositing a metal layer on the tantalum-containing film.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tantalum-containing gas is heated to a predetermined temperature in a range from about 50°

C. to about 80°

C.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the substrate is heated to a temperature in a range from about 250°

C. to about 400°

C.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one secondary precursor is selected from a nitrogen precursor, silicon precursor, a boron precursor, a phosphorous precursor or combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, atomic nitrogen, hydrazine, methylhydrazine, dimethylhydrazine, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a silicon precursor is selected from the group consisting of silane, disilane, methylsilane, hexamethyldisilane, tetrachlorosilane, hexachlorodisilane, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined thickness is in a range from about 10 Å

to about 30 Å

.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the tantalum-containing material is selected from a material consisting of tantalum, tantalum nitride, tantalum silicon nitride, tantalum boron nitride, tantalum phosphorous nitride, tantalum oxynitride, tantalum silicide, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the metal layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, tungsten, aluminum, tantalum, titanium, ruthenium, alloys thereof or combinations thereof.

25. A method for depositing a tantalum-containing gate material on a substrate in a process chamber, comprising:

exposing the substrate to an ALD process cycle comprising a pulse of a tantalum-containing gas containing TAIMATA, a pulse of a nitrogen precursor and a pulse of a third precursor selected from the group consisting of a silicon precursor, a boron precursor, a phosphorous precursor or combinations thereof to form a tantalum-containing material; and

repeating the ALD process cycle until the tantalum-containing material is at a predetermined thickness.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein a metal contact layer is deposited on the tantalum-containing material.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the predetermined thickness is in a range from about 40 Å

to about 200 Å

.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the tantalum-containing material is selected from a material consisting of tantalum silicon nitride, tantalum boron nitride, tantalum phosphorous nitride, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the material is tantalum silicon nitride and a silicon precursor is selected from the group consisting of silane, disilane or methylsilane.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the material is tantalum boron nitride and a boron precursor is diborane.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the material is tantalum phosphorous nitride and a phosphorous precursor is phosphine.