Method of forming chromium nitride layer and structure including the chromium nitride layer
Methods and systems for depositing chromium nitride layers onto a surface of the substrate and structures and devices formed using the methods are disclosed. An exemplary method includes using a deposition process, depositing a chromium nitride layer onto a surface of the substrate. The deposition process can include providing a chromium precursor to the reaction chamber and separately providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber. The deposition process may be a thermal cyclical deposition process.
1. A method of forming a gate electrode structure, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor; and
depositing a chromium nitride layer onto a surface of the substrate,
wherein the deposition process comprises:
providing a chromium precursor to the reaction chamber; and
providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber, and
wherein the chromium precursor comprises one or more of a chromium amidinate precursor, a chromium amido precursor and a chromium diazadiene precursor.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chromium amidinate precursor is selected from the group consisting of Cr(iPrFMD) x , Cr(tBuFMD) x , Cr(iPrAMD) x , Cr(tBuAMD) x , where x=2 or 3.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chromium amido precursor is selected from the group consisting of Cr[N(iPr) 2 ] 3 , Cr[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 3 , and other similarly substituted variants.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chromium diazadiene precursor is selected from the group consisting of Cr(tBu 2 DAD) 2 , Cr(tBu 2 DAD) 3 , Cr(iPr 2 DAD) 3 , Cr(iPr 2 DAD) 3 and other substituted DAD ligands.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition process comprises the continuous flow of at least one precursor/reactant.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposition process is a cyclical deposition process.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cyclical deposition process comprises an atomic layer deposition process.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cyclical deposition process comprises a cyclical chemical vapor deposition process.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein providing a chromium precursor to the reaction chamber and providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber are separated by a purge step.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cyclical deposition process comprises a thermal process.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein a duration of the step of providing the nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber is greater than or equal to 5 seconds, or greater than or equal to 10 seconds, or between about 5 seconds and about 10 seconds.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the substrate within the reaction chamber during the deposition process is between about 20° C. and about 800° C.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein a pressure within the reaction chamber during the deposition process is less than 760 Torr.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen reactant is selected from one or more of ammonia (NH 3 ), hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ), and other compounds comprising or consisting of nitrogen and hydrogen.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen reactant does not include diatomic nitrogen.
16. A method of forming a structure comprising a chromium nitride layer, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor; and
using a thermal deposition process, depositing a layer comprising chromium nitride onto a surface of the substrate,
wherein the thermal deposition process comprises:
providing a chromium precursor to the reaction chamber; and
providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber, and
wherein the chromium precursor comprises one or more of a chromium amidinate precursor, a chromium amido precursor and a chromium diazadiene precursor.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the nitrogen reactant is selected from one or more of ammonia (NH 3 ), hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ), and other compounds comprising or consisting of nitrogen and hydrogen.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the nitrogen reactant does not include diatomic nitrogen.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal cyclical deposition process comprises one or more of a cyclical chemical vapor deposition process and an atomic layer deposition process.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal deposition process does not comprise use of a nitrogen plasma.
21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal deposition process does not comprise use of excited nitrogen species.
22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal deposition process does not comprise use of nitrogen radicals.
23. A structure comprising a chromium nitride layer formed according to the method of claim 1 .
24. The structure of claim 23 , wherein a work function of the chromium nitride layer is >4.6 eV, >4.7 eV, >4.8 eV, >4.9 eV, >4.95 eV, or >5.0 eV.
25. The structure of claim 22 , wherein a RMS roughness of the chromium nitride layer is <1.0 nm, <0.7 nm, <0.5 nm, <0.4 nm, <0.35 nm, or <0.3 nm at a thickness of less than 10 nm.
26. The structure of claim 23 , wherein the structure is work function metal in a metal gate, a liner/barrier, a metal electrode in DRAM, Logic or 3DNAND, a p-metal gate for logic, or a dipole (p) tuning layer for logic or for another application.