Transparent and electrically conductive coatings containing non-stoichiometric metallic nitrides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018157162-A1
Application number	US-201615371904-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 7, 2016
Publication date	Jun 7, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed to compositions for photolithographic masks comprising a substrate and a coating having at least one electrical conducting layer comprising a metal nitride of the formula MNy, wherein M is a metal and y is greater than zero and less than 1, and methods of making the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A composition for a photolithographic mask comprising:
a. a substrate; and b. a coating deposited on a surface of the substrate, the coating comprising at least one electrical conducting layer comprising:
i. a thickness from about 5 nm to about 30 nm; and
ii. at least one metal nitride of the formula MN y , wherein M is a metal comprising Cr, Ti, Al, Si or combinations thereof, N is nitrogen, and y is greater than zero and less than 1.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical conducting layer has an optical transmittance from about 5% to about 35% in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 1600 nm.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical conducting layer has a sheet resistance from about 70 Ω/□ to about 200 Ω/□.

4 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical conducting layer comprises a metal oxynitride having the general formula MO x N y , wherein M, N and y are defined as above, O is oxygen, and x is greater than zero and less than 1.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical conducting layer has a thickness that varies about ±5% across the at least one electrical conducting layer.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical conducting layer comprises a surface roughness of ≤0.6 nm route mean square across an area of up to 100 μm 2 .

7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises fused silica, ZERODUR®, ULE® or CLEARCERAM®.

8 . A method of making a composition for a photolithographic mask comprising the steps of:
a. providing a substrate; and b. depositing a coating on the substrate, the coating comprising:
i. at least one electrical conducting layer having a thickness from about 5 nm to about 30 nm, and at least one metal nitride of the formula MN y , wherein M is a metal comprising Cr, Ti, Al, Si or combinations thereof, N is nitrogen, and y is greater than zero and less than 1.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the coating is deposited on the substrate by physical vapor deposition.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the physical vapor deposition method comprises a reactive deposition.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the physical vapor deposition method occurs in a chamber having a pressure of from about 9.9×10 −7 Torr to about 1×10 −7 Torr.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of adjusting the temperature of the substrate from about 100° C. to about 150° C.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the coating is deposited onto the substrate comprising a thermal evaporation process.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the coating is deposited onto the substrate comprising a chemical vapor deposition.

15 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing a flow of argon gas and a flow of nitrogen gas to the composition; and adjusting the flow of argon gas and the flow nitrogen to vary the amount of nitrogen present in the metal nitride.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the total flow of argon and nitrogen gas is about 20 sccm.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the flow of argon gas is from about 11 sccm to about 19 sccm and the flow of nitrogen gas is about 1 sccm to about 9 sccm.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing a flow of oxygen gas to the composition; and forming a metal oxynitrides having the formula MO x N y , wherein M, N and y are defined as above, O is oxygen, and x is greater than zero and less than 1.

Assignees

• Fundacio Inst De Ciencies Fotòniques
• Inst Catalana Recerca Estudis Avancats

Inventors

• Pruneri Valerio
• Maniyara Rinu Abraham

Classifications

• C23C14/0641

  Nitrides (C23C14/0617 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C16/308

  Oxynitrides · CPC title

• C23C16/34

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

• C23C14/0676

  Oxynitrides · CPC title

• G03F1/38 Primary

  Masks having auxiliary features, e.g. special coatings or marks for alignment or testing; Preparation thereof · CPC title