Chemical vapor deposition of ruthenium films for metal electrode applications

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of depositing ruthenium films on a substrate via liquid source chemical vapor deposition wherein the source material is liquid at room temperature and utilizing process conditions such that deposition of the ruthenium films occurs at a temperature in the kinetic-limited temperature regime. Also provided is a method of depositing a thin ruthenium film on a substrate by liquid source chemical vapor deposition using bis-(ethylcyclopentadienyl) ruthenium by vaporizing the bis-(ethylcyclopentadienyl) ruthenium at a vaporization temperature of about 100-300° C. to form a CVD source material gas, providing an oxygen source reactant gas and forming a thin ruthenium film on a substrate in a reaction chamber using the CVD source material gas and the oxygen source reactant gas at a substrate temperature of about 100-500° C.

In the claims:  
     
         13 . (New) A method of depositing a ruthenium-containing film on a substrate comprising: 
 vaporizing a neat Ruthenium liquid source material in a flow of a carrier gas;    exposing the vaporized ruthenium source material to a flow of oxygen gas;    reacting the vaporized ruthenium source material with the oxygen at an activation energy (E a ) of less than 1 eV in a kinetically limited temperature regime to deposit a Ruthenium-containing film on the substrate.    
     
     
         14 . (New) The method of  claim 13  wherein the deposited Ruthenium-containing film comprises Ruthenium metal.  
     
     
         15 . (New) The method of  claim 13  wherein the deposited Ruthenium-containing film comprises Ruthenium oxide.  
     
     
         16 . (New) The method of  claim 13  wherein the Ruthenium-containing film is formed in the absence of a seed layer overlying the substrate.  
     
     
         17 . (New) The method of  claim 13  further comprising forming a seed layer on top of the substrate prior to deposition of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         18 . (New) The method of  claim 17  wherein said seed layer is formed by a vapor deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition.  
     
     
         19 . (New) The method of  claim 18  wherein said seed layer is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, iridium, platinum, titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, tantalum pentoxide, ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, and titanium silicide.  
     
     
         20 . (New) The method of  claim 13  wherein said neat Ruthenium liquid source material is bis-(ethylcyclopentadienyl) ruthenium.  
     
     
         21 . (New) The method of  claim 13  wherein the neat Ruthenium liquid source material is vaporized at a temperature of about 260° C.  
     
     
         22 . (New) The method of  claim 13  wherein the Ruthenium liquid source material is vaporized in a flow of an N 2  carrier gas.  
     
     
         23 . (New) A method of depositing a ruthenium-containing film on a substrate comprising: 
 vaporizing a Ruthenium liquid source material in a flow of a carrier gas at a first flow rate;    exposing the vaporized ruthenium source material to a flow of oxygen gas at a second flow rate;    reacting the vaporized ruthenium source material with the oxygen gas an elevated temperature in a kinetically limited temperature regime to deposit a Ruthenium-containing film on the substrate; and    controlling at least one process parameter selected from the group consisting of a concentration of the Ruthenium liquid source material, a vaporization temperature of the Ruthenium liquid source, a deposition temperature, the first flow rate, and the second flow rate to determine a property of the deposited Ruthenium-containing film.    
     
     
         24 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the deposited Ruthenium-containing film comprises Ruthenium metal.  
     
     
         25 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the deposited Ruthenium-containing film comprises Ruthenium oxide.  
     
     
         27 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein vaporizing a Ruthenium liquid source material comprises vaporizing a neat Ruthenium liquid source material.  
     
     
         28 . (New) The method of  claim 27  wherein said neat Ruthenium liquid source material is bis-(ethylcyclopentadienyl) ruthenium.  
     
     
         29 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein vaporizing a Ruthenium liquid source material comprises vaporizing a Ruthenium liquid source material dissolved in a solvent.  
     
     
         30 . (New) The method of  claim 29  wherein the Ruthenium liquid source material is bis-(ethylcyclopentadienyl) ruthenium and the solvent is selected from the group consisting of octane and THF.  
     
     
         31 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the first flow rate is controlled to determine a rate of deposition of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         32 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the vaporization temperature is controlled to determine a rate of deposition of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         33 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the second flow rate is controlled to determine a Ru/O composition ratio of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         34 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the second flow rate is controlled to determine crystal alignment of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         35 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the deposition temperature is controlled to determine a Ru/O composition ratio of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         36 . (New) The method of  claim 23  wherein the concentration of the Ruthenium liquid source material is controlled to determine a Ru/O composition ratio of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         37 . (New) The method of  claim 23  further comprising forming a seed layer on top of the substrate prior to deposition of the Ruthenium-containing film.  
     
     
         38 . (New) The method of  claim 37  wherein said seed layer is formed by a vapor deposition technique selected from the group consisting of physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition.  
     
     
         39 . (New) The method of  claim 37  wherein said seed layer is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, iridium, platinum, titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, tantalum pentoxide, ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, and titanium silicide.