IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,272,599
Granted Patent B2
US 12,272,599 · App. 17/547,086 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Conformal and smooth titanium nitride layers and methods of forming the same

Inventors: Hyunchol Cho (Milpitas, CA); Hae Young Kim (San Jose, CA); Ajit Dhamdhere (San Jose, CA); Bunsen B. Nie (Fremont, CA); Sung-Hoon Jung (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Eugenus, Inc.
H01L21/76843C23C16/34C23C16/45527H01L21/28556
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,272,599
App. No.
17/547,086
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosed technology generally relates to forming a thin film comprising titanium nitride (TiN), and more particularly to forming by a cyclical vapor deposition process the thin film comprising (TiN). In one aspect, a method a method of forming a thin film comprising titanium nitride (TiN) by a cyclical vapor deposition process comprises forming on a semiconductor substrate a TiN thin film by exposing the semiconductor substrate to one or more cyclical vapor deposition cycles each comprising an exposure to a Ti precursor at a Ti precursor flow rate and an exposure to a N precursor at a N precursor flow rate, wherein a ratio of the N precursor flow rate to the Ti precursor flow rate exceeds 3. The method is such that the TiN thin film has a preferential (111) crystalline texture such that an X-ray spectrum of the TiN thin film has a ratio of a peak height or an intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal orientation of TiN to a peak height or an intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a (200) crystal orientation of TiN that exceeds 0.4. Aspects are also directed to semiconductor structures incorporating the thin film and method of forming the same.

Claims (32)

1. A method of forming a thin film comprising titanium nitride (TiN) by a cyclical vapor deposition process, the method comprising:

forming on a semiconductor substrate a TiN thin film by exposing the semiconductor substrate to one or more cyclical vapor deposition cycles each comprising an exposure to a Ti precursor at a Ti precursor flow rate and an exposure to a N precursor at a N precursor flow rate,

wherein the Ti precursor is exposed to the semiconductor substrate in the absence of any N precursor,

wherein a ratio of the N precursor flow rate to the Ti precursor flow rate (N/Ti flow ratio) exceeds 3, and

wherein the method forms the TiN thin film having a crystalline texture such that an X-ray spectrum of the TiN thin film has a ratio of a peak height or an intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal orientation of TiN to a peak height or an intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a (200) crystal orientation of TiN that exceeds 0.4.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N/Ti flow ratio is 3-100.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method is such that increasing the N/Ti flow ratio decreases a thickness of the TiN thin film.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method is such that increasing the N/Ti flow ratio decreases a resistivity of the TiN thin film.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method is such that increasing the N/Ti flow ratio increases a Young's modulus of the TiN thin film.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein increasing the Young's modulus comprises increasing the Young's modulus to a value exceeding 150 GPa.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method is such that increasing the N/Ti flow ratio increases a hardness of the TiN thin film.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein increasing the hardness comprises increasing the hardness to a value exceeding 6 GPa.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method is such that increasing the N/Ti flow ratio decreases a chlorine content of the TiN thin film.

10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method is such that decreasing a deposition pressure increases the ratio of the peak height or the intensity of the X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to the (111) crystal orientation of TiN to the peak height or the intensity of the X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to the (200) crystal orientation of TiN.

11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the N precursor flow rate is 500 sccm-10,000 sccm.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the Ti precursor flow rate is 100 sccm-5000 sccm.

13. A method of forming a thin film comprising titanium nitride (TiN) by a cyclical vapor deposition process, the method comprising:

forming on a semiconductor substrate a TiN thin film by exposing the semiconductor substrate to one or more cyclical vapor deposition cycles each comprising an exposure to a Ti precursor at a Ti precursor flow rate and an exposure to a N precursor at a N precursor flow rate,

wherein the Ti precursor is exposed to the semiconductor substrate in the absence of any N precursor,

wherein the N precursor flow rate exceeds 500 sccm, and

wherein the method forms the TiN thin film having a crystalline texture such that an X-ray spectrum of the TiN thin film has a ratio of a peak height or an intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a (111) crystal orientation of TiN to a peak height or an intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to a (200) crystal orientation of TiN that exceeds 0.4.

14. The method of claim 13 , a ratio of the N precursor flow rate to the Ti precursor flow rate (N/Ti flow ratio) is 3-100.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the method is such that increasing the N/Ti flow ratio decreases a thickness of the TiN thin film.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein decreasing the thickness decreases a resistivity of the TiN thin film.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein decreasing the thickness increases a Young's modulus of the TiN thin film.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein increasing the Young's modulus comprises increasing the Young's modulus to a value exceeding 150 GPa.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein decreasing the thickness increases a hardness of the TiN thin film.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein increasing the hardness comprises increasing the hardness to a value exceeding 6 GPa.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein decreasing the thickness decreases a chlorine content of the TiN thin film.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method is such that decreasing a deposition pressure increases the ratio of the peak height or the intensity of the X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to the (111) crystal orientation of TiN to the peak height or the intensity of the X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to the (200) crystal orientation of TiN.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the N precursor flow rate is 500 sccm-10,000 sccm.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the Ti precursor flow rate is 100 sccm-5000 sccm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2022
From: CHO, HYUNCHOL; KIM, HAE YOUNG; DHAMDHERE, AJIT; NIE, BUNSEN B.; JUNG, SUNG-HOON
To: EUGENUS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059312/0292 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 16595945 · Oct 8, 2019
Provisional Application 63123733 · Dec 10, 2020
Related Publication 20220172988A1 · Jun 2, 2022
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