Method for preparing metal nitride thin films
First Claim
1. A method of growing transition metal nitride thin films by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process in which a nitride thin film is grown on a substrate by means of alternate surface reactions of metal and nitrogen source materials, wherein the nitrogen source material comprises a compound having a hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group bound to nitrogen, and wherein hydrolytic dissociation of the hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group from nitrogen generates a radical.
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Abstract
Methods for producing metal nitride thin layers having low resistivity by means of atomic layer deposition processes comprising alternate surface reactions of metal and nitrogen source materials include using nitrogen source materials that have better reducing properties than ammonia and 1,1-dimethyl hydrazine. Suitable compounds for that purpose include those in which a hydrocarbon group bound to nitrogen, when dissociating in a homolytic manner, generates a radical that serves as a reducing agent and reacts further to generate atomic hydrogen. The nitride thin layers produced are especially suitable for use as diffusion barrier layers in integrated circuits.
139 Citations
27 Claims
- 1. A method of growing transition metal nitride thin films by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process in which a nitride thin film is grown on a substrate by means of alternate surface reactions of metal and nitrogen source materials, wherein the nitrogen source material comprises a compound having a hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group bound to nitrogen, and wherein hydrolytic dissociation of the hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group from nitrogen generates a radical.
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16. A method of producing an electrically conductive diffusion barrier layer between a conductor and an isolation layer on a substrate comprising integrated circuits, the method comprising:
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introducing the substrate into the reaction space of a reactor; and
growing a conductive metal nitride layer on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process comprising alternate surface reactions of metal and nitrogen source materials, wherein the nitrogen source material comprises a compound having a hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group attached to the nitrogen and wherein dissociation of the hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group from the nitrogen generates a reducing agent. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 26, 27)
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20. A method of producing a conductive TaN diffusion barrier layer on a substrate comprising integrated circuits, said method comprising:
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introducing the substrate into the reaction space of a reactor; and
growing a conductive metal nitride thin layer on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process comprising alternate surface reactions of tantalum and nitrogen source materials, wherein the nitrogen source comprises a compound having such a hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group attached to the nitrogen and wherein dissociation of the hydrocarbon, amino or silyl group from the nitrogen generates a radical. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification