Method of film deposition using activated precursor gases

1. A method for depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

providing a metal-containing precursor to an activation zone;

activating the metal-containing precursor to form an activated metal precursor, wherein activating the metal-containing precursor comprises reacting the metal-containing precursor with a gas phase material containing one or more metallic species selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, and combinations thereof; and

alternately adsorbing the activated metal precursor and a first reducing gas to deposit the film on the substrate surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas phase material further comprises ammonia.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the film comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, tantalum nitride, titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the metal-containing precursor comprises a material selected from the group consisting of PDMAT, PDEAT, PEMAT, TBTDET, TBTMET, TBTDMT, tantalum chloride, tantalum bromide, tantalum iodide, (Cp) 2 TaH 3 , (CpMe) 2 TaH 3 , TDMAT, TDEAT, titanium chloride, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the metal-containing precursor further comprises reacting the metal-containing precursor with a plasma of hydrogen radicals, nitrogen radicals, or hydrogen and nitrogen radicals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the metal-containing precursor further comprises exciting the gas phase material with a radiation source and reacting the gas phase material with the metal-containing precursor.

7. The method of claims 1 , wherein the first reducing gas is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrogen, hydrazine, monomethyl hydrazine, dimethyl hydrazine, t-butyl hydrazine, phenyl hydrazine, 2,2′-azoisobutane, ethylazide, silane, disilane, dichlorosilane, borane, diborane, triborane, tetraborane, pentaborane, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a cyclical deposition process comprises a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises establishing a flow of an inert gas to a process chamber and modulating the flow of the inert gas with an alternating period of exposure to one of either the activated metal precursor or the first reducing gas.

9. A method for forming a film on a substrate, comprising:

providing a metal-containing precursor to an activation zone;

activating the metal-containing precursor to form an activated precursor gas, wherein activating the metal-containing precursor comprises reacting the metal-containing precursor with a gas phase material containing one or more metallic species selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, and combinations thereof;

providing a first reducing gas to the activation zone;

activating the first reducing gas to form an activated reducing gas; and

depositing the film on the substrate using a cyclical deposition process, wherein the activated reducing gas and the active precursor gas are alternately adsorbed on the substrate.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gas phase material further comprises ammonia.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the film comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, tantalum nitride, titanium, titanium nitride, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal-containing precursor comprises a material selected from the group consisting of PDMAT, PDEAT, PEMAT, TBTDET, TBTMET, TBTDMT, tantalum chloride, tantalum bromide, tantalum iodide, (Cp) 2 TaH 3 , (CpMe) 2 TaH 3 , TDMAT, TDEAT, titanium chloride, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first reducing gas is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrogen, hydrazine, monomethyl hydrazine, dimethyl hydrazine, t-butyl hydrazine, phenyl hydrazine, 2,2′-azoisobutane, ethylazide, silane, disilane, dichlorosilane, borane, diborane, triborane, tetraborane, pentaborane, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein activating the metal-containing precursor further comprises igniting the gas phase material into a plasma state and reacting the gas phase material with the metal precursor gas.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein activating the metal-containing precursor further comprises exciting the gas phase material with a radiation source and reacting the gas phase material with the metal-containing precursor.

16. A method for depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

providing a tantalum-containing precursor to an activation zone;

activating the tantalum-containing precursor to form an activated tantalum-precursor by reacting the tantalum-containing precursor with a material containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, and combinations thereof; and

alternately pulsing the activated tantalum-precursor and a reductant to deposit the film.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the tantalum-containing precursor is PDMAT.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reductant is ammonia.

19. A method for depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

providing PDMAT to an activation zone;

activating the PDMAT to form an activated tantalum-precursor by reacting the PDMAT with a material containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, and combinations thereof; and

alternately pulsing the activated tantalum-precursor and ammonia to deposit the film.

20. A method for depositing a film on a substrate surface, comprising:

providing a metal-containing precursor to an activation zone;

activating the metal-containing precursor to form an activated metal-precursor by reacting the metal-containing precursor with a material containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium, and combinations thereof; and

sequentially exposing the substrate surface to pulses of the activated metal-precursor and a reductant to deposit the film.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the film comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, tantalum nitride, titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, and combinations thereof.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the metal-containing precursor comprises a material selected from the group consisting of PDMAT, PDEAT, PEMAT, TBTDET, TBTMET, TBTDMT, tantalum chloride, tantalum bromide, tantalum iodide, (Cp) 2 TaH 3 , (CpMe) 2 TaH 3 , TDMAT, TDEAT, titanium chloride, and combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the reductant is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrogen, hydrazine, methylhydrazine, dimethylhydrazine, tertbutylhydrazine, phenylhydrazine, 2,2′-azoisobutane, ethylazide, silane, disilane, dichlorosilane, borane, diborane, triborane, tetraborane, pentaborane, and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the metal-containing precursor is PDMAT and the reductant is ammonia.