Metal-doped carbon hardmasks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12014925-B2
Application number	US-202117330035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2021
Priority date	May 25, 2021
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

Exemplary deposition methods may include delivering a ruthenium-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. At least one of the ruthenium-containing precursor or the hydrogen-containing precursor may include carbon. The methods may include forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a ruthenium-and-carbon material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A deposition method comprising:
delivering a ruthenium-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein at least one of the ruthenium-containing precursor or the hydrogen-containing precursor comprises carbon;
forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber; and
depositing a ruthenium-and-carbon material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the ruthenium-and-carbon material is characterized by an as-deposited surface roughness of less than or about 1.0 nm.

2. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein the ruthenium-and-carbon material is characterized by an as-deposited surface roughness of less than or about 0.5 nm.

3. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein the ruthenium-and-carbon material is characterized by a concentration of ruthenium greater than or about 5 at. %.

4. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein the ruthenium-and-carbon material is characterized by a grain size of less than or about 50 Å.

5. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the substrate is maintained above or about 300° C. during the depositing the ruthenium-and-carbon material on the substrate.

6. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure is maintained below or about 15 Torr during the depositing the ruthenium-and-carbon material on the substrate.

7. The deposition method of claim 1 , wherein a low-frequency plasma power is maintained at greater than or about 100 W while depositing the ruthenium-and-carbon material on the substrate.

8. The deposition method of claim 1 , further comprising
ramping one or more of a chamber pressure or a plasma power while depositing the ruthenium-and-carbon material on the substrate.

9. The deposition method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an argon precursor with the ruthenium-containing precursor and the hydrogen-containing precursor.

10. The deposition method of claim 1 , further comprising
providing a boron-containing precursor or a nitrogen-containing precursor with the ruthenium-containing precursor and the hydrogen-containing precursor.

11. The deposition method of claim 1 , further comprising
removing the ruthenium-and-carbon material utilizing ozone.

12. The deposition method of claim 11 , wherein removing the ruthenium-and-carbon material is performed at a substrate temperature below or about 300° C.

13. A deposition method comprising:
delivering a transition-metal-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein at least one of the transition-metal-containing precursor or the hydrogen-containing precursor comprises carbon;
forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber; and
depositing a transition-metal-and-carbon material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a temperature of the substrate is maintained above or about 450° C. during the depositing the transition-metal-and-carbon material on the substrate, and wherein the transition-metal-and-carbon material is characterized by an as-deposited surface roughness of less than or about 1.5 nm.

14. The deposition method of claim 13 , wherein the transition metal comprises ruthenium or osmium, and wherein the transition-metal-and-carbon material is characterized by a ruthenium or osmium concentration of greater than 55 at. %.

15. The deposition method of claim 13 , further comprising:
ashing the transition-metal-and-carbon material from the substrate, wherein the ashing is performed with ozone or plasma-enhanced oxygen.

16. The deposition method of claim 15 , wherein ashing the transition-metal-and-carbon material is performed at a substrate temperature below or about 300° C.

17. The deposition method of claim 13 , further comprising:
ramping one or more of a chamber pressure or a plasma power while depositing the transition-metal-and-carbon material on the substrate.

18. The deposition method of claim 13 , wherein a low-frequency plasma power is maintained at greater than or about 100 W while depositing the transition-metal-and-carbon material on the substrate.

19. The deposition method of claim 13 , wherein the transition-metal-containing precursor comprises an organometallic precursor, or a metal-halide precursor.

20. A deposition method comprising:
delivering a transition-metal-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, wherein at least one of the transition-metal-containing precursor or the hydrogen-containing precursor comprises carbon;
forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber;
depositing a transition-metal-and-carbon material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein a temperature of the substrate is maintained above or about 450° C. during the depositing the transition-metal-and-carbon material on the substrate, wherein the transition-metal-and-carbon material is characterized by an as-deposited surface roughness of less than or about 1.5 nm, and wherein the transition-metal-and-carbon material is characterized by a transition metal concentration of greater than or about 55 at. %; and
ashing the transition-metal-and-carbon material from the substrate, wherein the ashing is performed with ozone or plasma-enhanced oxygen.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Venkatasubramanian Eswaranand
• Bhuyan Bhaskar Jyoti
• Saly Mark J
• Mallick Abhijit Basu

Classifications

• H10P50/285

  of materials not containing Si, e.g. PZT or Al2O3 · CPC title

• H10P50/73

  using masks for insulating materials · CPC title

• H10P14/668

  the materials being characterised by the deposition precursor materials · CPC title

• H10P14/6902

  composed of carbon, e.g. alpha-C, diamond or hydrogen doped carbon · CPC title

• H10P14/6336 Primary

  in the presence of a plasma [PECVD] · CPC title