Method of depositing metals using high frequency plasma

• US 9,466,524 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ma, Paul F., Liu, Guojun, Lakshmanan, Annamalai, Wu, Dien-Yeh, Subramani, Anantha K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSTAPHA, ABDULFATTAH B
• Application Number:
  US13/742,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45542 Plasma being used non-continuously during the ALD reactions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76838 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the conductors etching for patterning the conductors H01L21/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76841 Barrier, adhesion or liner layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76862 Bombardment with particles, e.g. treatment in noble gas plasmas; UV irradiation

Abstract

Methods for depositing metal layers, and more specifically TaN layers, using CVD and ALD techniques are provided. In one or more embodiments, the method includes sequentially exposing a substrate to a metal precursor, or more specifically a tantalum precursor, followed by a high frequency plasma.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a tantalum nitride film on a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

placing the substrate in a processing chamber comprising a gas distribution plate, the gas distribution plate comprising at least one first reactive gas injector and at least one second reactive gas injector, the at least one first reactive gas injector providing a tantalum precursor and the at least one second reactive gas injector providing a high frequency plasma, the at least one first reactive gas injector being separated from the at least one second reactive gas injector by one or more vacuum ports and one or more purge gas injectors; and

passing a portion of the substrate across the gas distribution plate in a first direction so that the portion of the substrate is sequentially exposed to the tantalum precursor followed by the high frequency plasma.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the high frequency plasma has a frequency greater than about 20 MHz.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the high frequency plasma comprises one or more of argon, hydrogen, ammonia, helium and nitrogen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the high frequency plasma has a frequency of about 40 MHz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the high frequency plasma has a pressure in the range of about 1 Torr to about 20 Torr.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the high frequency plasma is a capacitively coupled plasma.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the high frequency plasma has a power in the range of about 200 watts to about 1200 watts.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tantalum precursor comprises one or more of pentakis(dimethylamino)tantalum (PDMAT), tantalum fluoride, tertbutylimido-tris(ethylmethylamino)tantalum (TBTEMT), tertbutylimido-tris(diethylamino)tantalum (TBTDEAT), tertbutylimido-tris(dimethylamino)tantalum (TBTDMAT), tertiaryamylimido-tris(dimethylamino)tantalum (TAIMATA), tertiaryamylimido-tris(diethylamino)tantalum, tertiaryamylimido-tris(methylethylamino)tantalum, pentakis(ethylmethylamino)tantalum (PEMAT), pentakis(diethylamido)tantalum (PDEAT), plasmas thereof, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the tantalum precursor is pentakis(dimethylamido)tantalum (PDMAT).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the substrate to a temperature in the range of about 150°

C. to about 350°

C.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a distance between the substrate and a gas distribution plate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance between the substrate and the gas distribution plate is in the range of about 50 mil to about 800 mil.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance between the substrate and the gas distribution plate is in the range of about 300 mil and about 580 mil.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the resultant film has a lower resistivity than a similar film processed without the high frequency plasma.

15. The method of claim 1, where in the resultant film has a higher density than a similar film processed without the high frequency plasma.