Process for passivating dielectric films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513772-B2
Application number	US-201013502925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2010
Priority date	Oct 20, 2009
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

Methods are disclosed herein for depositing a passivation layer comprising fluorine over a dielectric material that is sensitive to chlorine, bromine, and iodine. The passivation layer can protect the sensitive dielectric layer thereby enabling deposition using precursors comprising chlorine, bromine, and iodine over the passivation layer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for forming a titanium nitride containing thin film on a substrate comprising a high-k surface in a reaction chamber, the process comprising:
depositing a first titanium nitride layer by at least one deposition cycle comprising:
providing titanium fluoride into the reaction chamber in a vapor phase to contact the substrate comprising a high-k surface; and
providing nitrogen containing vapor phase reactant to the reaction chamber such that the nitrogen containing vapor phase reactant reacts with the titanium fluoride to form a first titanium nitride layer;
wherein the nitrogen containing vapor phase reactant comprises NH 3 or N-containing plasma and wherein the formed first titanium nitride layer comprises greater than 0.5 at-% F, and

subsequently depositing a second titanium nitride layer over the formed first titanium nitride layer, wherein the second titanium nitride layer is deposited using a titanium precursor comprising chlorine, bromine or iodine, thereby forming the titanium nitride thin film.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process for depositing the first titanium nitride layer is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process for depositing the first titanium nitride layer is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or a pulsed CVD process.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the formed titanium nitride thin film has a work function above about 5.0 eV.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the formed titanium nitride thin film has a work function above about 5.2 eV.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is susceptible to chloride, bromide, or iodide attack.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the high-k surface comprises hafnium or zirconium.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first titanium nitride layer serves as a passivation layer.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first titanium nitride layer comprises greater than 2 at-% F.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first titanium nitride layer comprises greater than 5 at-% F.

Assignees

• Blomberg Tom E
• Tois Eva E
• Huggare Robert
• Maes Jan Willem
• Machkaoutsan Vladimir
• Pierreux Dieter
• Asm Int Nv

Inventors

• Blomberg Tom E
• Tois Eva E
• Huggare Robert
• Maes Jan Willem
• Machkaoutsan Vladimir
• Pierreux Dieter

Classifications

• C23C16/34 Primary

  Nitrides {(C23C16/303 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C16/409

  of the type ABO3 with A representing alkali, alkaline earth metal or lead and B representing a refractory metal, nickel, scandium or a lanthanide · CPC title

• C23C16/36

  Carbonitrides · CPC title

• C23C16/45527

  characterized by the ALD cycle, e.g. different flows or temperatures during half-reactions, unusual pulsing sequence, use of precursor mixtures or auxiliary reactants or activations · CPC title

• C23C16/45531 Primary

  specially adapted for making ternary or higher compositions · CPC title