Methods Of Depositing A Metal Alloy Film

• US 20150004316A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Thompson, David, Anthis, Jeffrey W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,036,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/253
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/08 from metal halides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/18 from metallo-organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45553 characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD

Abstract

Provided are methods of depositing films comprising exposing at least a portion of a substrate to a metal precursor to provide a first metal on the substrate and an organometallic reducing agent to deposit a second metal on the substrate to form a mixture or alloy of the first metal and the second metal. Exposure to the metal precursor and organometallic reducing agent can be in either order or simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method of depositing an alloy film, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate within a processing chamber;

exposing at least a portion of the substrate to a metal halide precursor to provide a first metal on the substrate;

purging unreacted metal halide precursor from the processing chamber; and

exposing the portion of the substrate to an organometallic reducing agent comprising a second metal different from the first metal to deposit the second metal on the substrate resulting in an alloy of the first metal and the second metal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal halide comprises titanium tetrachloride.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the organometallic reducing agent comprises an alkyl of the second metal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second metal comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ge, In, Sn, Sb, TI, Pb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ga and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alkyl of the second metal comprises one or more of dimethyl-metal hydride, diethylhydrido-metal, methyldihydro-metal, and an alkyl metal hydrides of the formula [(C_xH_y)_z-aMH_a]_n, wherein x has a value of 1 to 3, y has a value of 2x+2, z has a value of 2 to 5, a has a value of 1 to 2, and n has a value of 1 to 4.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the alkyl of the second metal comprises an amine.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the organometallic reducing agent comprises one or more of tetraethyl tin, trimethyl indium and diethyl zinc.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein exposure of the substrate to the metal halide at least partially overlaps with exposure of the substrate to the organometallic reducing agent.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising purging the organometallic reducing agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is sequentially exposed metal halide and the organometallic reducing agent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is exposed to the metal halide before being exposed to the organometallic reducing agent.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is exposed to the organometallic reducing agent before being exposed to the metal halide.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising soaking the alloy film with an alloying agent, wherein the alloying agent comprises one or more of SiH₄, GeH₄, trimethylgallium, and B₂H₆.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the alloy film contains less than 20% carbon.

15. A method of depositing an alloy film, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate within a processing chamber; and

simultaneously flowing a metal halide precursor to provide a first metal and an organometallic reducing agent comprising a second metal different from the first metal into the processing chamber to deposit an alloy film comprising the first metal and the second metal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the metal halide comprises titanium tetrachloride.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the organometallic reducing agent comprises an alkyl of the second metal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second metal comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ge, In, Sn, Sb, TI, Pb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ga and mixtures thereof.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the alloy film contains less than 20% carbon.

20. A method of depositing an alloy film, the method comprising:

positioning a substrate within a processing chamber; and

flowing a metal halide precursor to provide a first metal into the processing chamber to contact a portion of the substrate; and

flowing an organometallic reducing agent comprising a second metal different from the first metal into the processing chamber to contact a portion of the substrate,

wherein the metal halide and organometallic reducing agent are simultaneously flowed into different regions of the processing chamber and are separated by an inert gas curtain to prevent gas phase reaction of the metal halide and organometallic reducing agent.