Methods and systems for forming a layer comprising vanadium and nitrogen
Disclosed are methods and systems for depositing layers comprising a metal and nitrogen. The layers are formed onto a surface of a substrate. The deposition process may be a cyclical deposition process. Exemplary structures in which the layers may be incorporated include field effect transistors, VNAND cells, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures, and DRAM capacitors.
1 . A method for forming a layer comprising a metal nitride on a substrate, the method comprising:
providing the substrate in a reaction chamber;
depositing a metal oxide on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition process, wherein depositing the metal oxide on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition process comprises performing a plurality of deposition cycles, each deposition cycle comprising a metal precursor pulse and an oxygen reactant pulse, wherein the metal precursor pulse comprises exposing the substrate to a metal precursor, and wherein the oxygen reactant pulse comprises exposing the substrate to an oxygen reactant; and,
exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing reactant, thereby converting the metal oxide to a metal nitride,
wherein the metal nitride consists essentially of a transition metal and nitrogen or a rare earth metal and nitrogen, and
wherein the nitrogen-containing reactant is flowed during the depositing the metal oxide.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen reactant is selected from H 2 O 2 or an alcohol.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride is conductive.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride comprises vanadium nitride, and wherein the metal oxide comprises vanadium oxide.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal precursor comprises a transition metal precursor.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal precursor is selected from a halide, an oxyhalide, and an organometallic compound.
7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the metal precursor comprises a vanadium precursor.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the vanadium precursor comprises a vanadium halide.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the vanadium halide comprises vanadium chloride.
10 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the vanadium precursor comprises a vanadium beta-diketonate.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal precursor pulse and the oxygen reactant pulse are separated by an intra deposition cycle purge.
12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of curing the metal nitride after exposing the substrate to the nitrogen-containing reactant.
13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to the nitrogen-containing reactant comprises providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber, the nitrogen reactant being selected from NH 3 , N 2 H 2 , and N 2 .
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein exposing the substrate to the nitrogen-containing reactant comprises generating a nitrogen-containing plasma in the reaction chamber, wherein generating the nitrogen-containing plasma in the reaction chamber comprises providing a nitrogen-containing plasma gas to the reaction chamber, and wherein the nitrogen-containing plasma gas comprises at least one nitrogen-containing gas selected from NH 3 , N 2 , and N 2 H 2 .
15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen reactant comprises H 2 O.
16 . A method for forming a layer comprising a metal nitride on a substrate, the method comprising:
providing the substrate in a reaction chamber; and
performing a plurality of super cycles, wherein a super cycle comprises:
depositing a metal oxide on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition process, and,
exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing reactant, thereby converting the metal oxide to a metal nitride,
wherein the metal nitride consists essentially of a transition metal and nitrogen or a rare earth metal and nitrogen, and
wherein the nitrogen-containing reactant is continually flowed during the plurality of super cycles.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein subsequent super cycles are separated by an inter super cycle purge.
18 . A method of forming a vanadium nitride on a substrate, the method comprising:
providing the substrate in a reaction chamber;
depositing a vanadium oxide on the substrate by an atomic layer deposition process comprising performing a plurality of deposition cycles, each deposition cycle comprising:
providing a vanadium halide precursor pulse to the reaction chamber, and
providing an oxygen reactant pulse to the reaction chamber; and
exposing the substrate to a nitrogen-containing reactant, thereby converting the vanadium oxide to a vanadium nitride,
wherein the nitrogen-containing reactant is continually provided during the plurality of deposition cycles.