THIN FILMS
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Abstract
Thin films are formed by formed by atomic layer deposition, whereby the composition of the film can be varied from monolayer to monolayer during cycles including alternating pulses of self-limiting chemistries. In the illustrated embodiments, varying amounts of impurity sources are introduced during the cyclical process. A graded gate dielectric is thereby provided, even for extremely thin layers. The gate dielectric as thin as 2 nm can be varied from pure silicon oxide to oxynitride to silicon nitride. Similarly, the gate dielectric can be varied from aluminum oxide to mixtures of aluminum oxide and a higher dielectric material (e.g., ZrO2) to pure high k material and back to aluminum oxide. In another embodiment, metal nitride (e.g., WN) is first formed as a barrier for lining dual damascene trenches and vias. During the alternating deposition process, copper can be introduced, e.g., in separate pulses, and the copper source pulses can gradually increase in frequency, forming a transition region, until pure copper is formed at the upper surface. Advantageously, graded compositions in these and a variety of other contexts help to avoid such problems as etch rate control, electromigration and non-ohmic electrical contact that can occur at sharp material interfaces. In some embodiments additional seed layers or additional transition layers are provided.
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Citations
66 Claims
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1-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A method of producing a liner layer, said method comprising:
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depositing a first layer via an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process onto a substrate, wherein the first layer comprises tungsten, nitrogen, and carbon; depositing a second layer via an ALD process over the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises tungsten; and depositing a third layer via an ALD process over the second layer, wherein the third layer comprises copper. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45-55. -55. (canceled)
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56. A method of forming a thin film comprising:
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placing a substrate in a reaction chamber; introducing a first, and a second vapor phase reactants in alternate and temporally separated pulses to the substrate in a plurality of first deposition cycles; introducing varying amounts of a third vapor phase reactant and a fourth vapor phase reactant in a plurality of second deposition cycles, to the substrate during the plurality of first deposition cycles; and introducing a fifth and a sixth vapor phase reactants in alternate and temporally separated pulses to the substrate in a plurality of third deposition cycles. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A method of forming a liner layer with a varying composition in a damascene trench, comprising:
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placing a substrate in a reaction chamber; introducing first metal and a non-metal vapor phase reactants in alternate and temporally separated pulses to the substrate in a plurality of atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles; and introducing varying amounts of a second metal vapor phase reactant to the substrate during said plurality of deposition cycles.
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Specification