Enhanced thin film deposition
First Claim
1. An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for forming a tantalum carbide thin film comprising a plurality of first deposition cycles, at least one cycle comprising contacting a substrate in a reaction space with alternating and sequential pulses of a first source chemical that comprises a tantalum halide compound, a second source chemical comprising metal and carbon, wherein carbon from the second source chemical is incorporated into the thin film, and a third reactant wherein the third reactant is a deposition-enhancing agent that is acetylene (C2H2).
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Abstract
Methods of producing metal-containing thin films with low impurity contents on a substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are provided. The methods preferably comprise contacting a substrate with alternating and sequential pulses of a metal source chemical, a second source chemical and a deposition enhancing agent. The deposition enhancing agent is preferably selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, hydrogen, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen radicals, silanes, germanium compounds, nitrogen compounds, and boron compounds. In some embodiments, the deposition-enhancing agent reacts with halide contaminants in the growing thin film, improving film properties.
164 Citations
33 Claims
- 1. An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for forming a tantalum carbide thin film comprising a plurality of first deposition cycles, at least one cycle comprising contacting a substrate in a reaction space with alternating and sequential pulses of a first source chemical that comprises a tantalum halide compound, a second source chemical comprising metal and carbon, wherein carbon from the second source chemical is incorporated into the thin film, and a third reactant wherein the third reactant is a deposition-enhancing agent that is acetylene (C2H2).
- 15. A method for depositing a tantalum carbide thin film on a substrate in a reaction chamber, the method comprising providing alternating, self-saturating pulses of reactants in a plurality of first deposition cycles, each cycle comprising contacting a substrate in a reaction space with separate pulses of a first metal source chemical comprising a tantalum halide, a second source chemical comprising carbon and a third source chemical, wherein the third source chemical is acetylene (C2H2).
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24. A method of depositing a metal oxide thin film on a substrate in a reaction space by an atomic layer deposition process, the atomic layer deposition process comprising a plurality of first deposition cycles, each first deposition cycle comprising supplying separate pulses of:
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a metal halide reactant; a second reactant comprising water; and a third reactant that is acetylene (C2H2). - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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- 28. An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for forming an elemental metal thin film on a substrate, the process comprising contacting the substrate with alternating and sequential pulses of a deposition-enhancing agent, a metal halide source chemical, and a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of boranes and silanes in a first deposition cycle, wherein the deposition enhancing agent is acetylene (C2H2).
- 31. An atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for forming a silicon-containing thin film on a substrate, the process comprising contacting the substrate with alternating and sequential pulses of WF6, a silicon source chemical that is a silane (SixHy) and a deposition-enhancing agent that is acetylene (C2H2).
Specification