IP Library Granted Patent US 12,448,681
Granted Patent B2
US 12,448,681 · App. 17/926,818 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Methods of forming molybdenum-containing films deposited on elemental metal films

Inventors: Guo Liu (Haverhill, MA); Jacob Woodruff (Lexington, MA); Jean-Sébastien Lehn (Somerville, NJ)
Assignee: MERCK PATENT GMBH
C23C16/08C23C16/45534C23C16/45553C23C16/52
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,448,681
App. No.
17/926,818
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods of forming molybdenum-containing films are provided. The methods include thermally depositing a first film on a surface of a substrate, for example, at a first temperature less than or equal to about 400° C., and thermally depositing the molybdenum-containing film (second film) on at least a portion of the first film, for example, at a second temperature of greater than about 400° C. The first film can include an elemental metal, for example, tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, or cobalt. The second film includes a reaction product of a molybdenum-containing precursor and a reducing agent.

Claims (11)

1. A method for forming a molybdenum-containing film, the method comprising:

A. thermally depositing a first film comprising an elemental metal on a surface of a substrate at a first temperature less than or equal to about 400° C., wherein the elemental metal is cobalt; and

B. thermally depositing a second film on at least a portion of the first film at a second temperature of greater than about 400° C., wherein the second film comprises a reaction product of a molybdenum-containing precursor with a reducing agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film has a thickness of greater than or equal to about 2 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally depositing the first film comprises delivering a first metal-containing precursor and a co-reactant to the substrate, wherein the first metal-containing precursor is a cobalt-containing precursor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally depositing the second film comprises delivering the molybdenum-containing precursor and the reducing agent to the substrate, wherein the molybdenum-containing precursor is a molybdenum halide or a molybdenum oxyhalide.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein molybdenum halide is MoCl 5 or MoF 6 , the molybdenum oxyhalide is MoOCl 4 or MoO 2 Cl 2 , the reducing agent is hydrogen or hydrogen plasma, and/or the co-reactant is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-di-trimethylsilyl-2-methyl-cyclohexa-2,5-diene (CHD), 1,4-bis-trimethylsilyl-1,4-dihydropyrazine (DHP), 1-trimethylsilylcyclohexa-2,5-diene, nitrogen plasma, ammonia plasma, oxygen, air, water, ozone, NH 3 , H 2 , hydrazine, alkylhydrazine, and a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is less than or equal to about 300° C. and/or the second temperature is about 400° C. to about 600° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second film is substantially continuous and conformal and/or the second film has a resistivity of less than or equal to about 200 μΩ-cm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermally depositing the first film is performed at a pressure of about 0.1 Torr to about 6 Torr and/or wherein the thermally depositing the second film is performed at a pressure of about 1 Torr to about 100 Torr.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first film is thermally deposited by chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition and/or wherein the second film is thermally deposited by chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2022
From: LIU, GUO; WOODRUFF, JACOB; LEHN, JEAN-SÉBASTIEN
To: EMD PERFORMANCE MATERIALS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061923/0238 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2022
From: EMD PERFORMANCE MATERIALS CORPORATION
To: MERCK PATENT GMBH
Reel/Frame 061923/0346 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63030077 · May 26, 2020
Related Publication 20230203645A1 · Jun 29, 2023
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