Technique for high efficiency metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

A technique for more efficiently forming conductive elements, such as conductive layers and electrodes, using chemical vapor deposition. A conductive precursor gas, such as a platinum precursor gas, having organic compounds to improve step coverage is introduced into a chemical vapor deposition chamber. A reactant is also introduced into the chamber that reacts with residue organic compounds on the conductive element so as to remove the organic compounds from the nucleating sites to thereby permit more efficient subsequent chemical vapor deposition of conductive elements.

1 . A system for forming a conductive element on a semiconductor device, the system comprising: 
 a chamber that receives the semiconductor device;    a conductive precursor gas supply system that provides a conductive precursor gas to the chamber wherein the conductive precursor gas has both conductive components that when deposited on the semiconductor device form the conductive element and organic components that facilitate step coverage of the conductive element over the semiconductor device;    a reactant supply system that introduces a reactant into the chamber that is selected to enable deposition of the conductive components of the conductive precursor gas on the semiconductor device and to remove organic components off of the conductive element to facilitate further deposition of the conductive components of the conductive precursor gas on the conductive element; and    a controller that monitors the rate of deposition of the conductive components and controls the delivery of the conductive precursor gas and the reactant into the chamber, wherein the controller introduces the reactant into the chamber when the rate of deposition of the conductive components onto the semiconductor device falls below a pre-selected threshold.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive precursor gas supply system includes a carrier gas supply device that supplies the conductive element in a gas form and a liquid precursor system that receives the carrier gas and produces the conductive precursor gas for delivery into the chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the conductive precursor gas supply system provides a platinum precursor gas into the chamber.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive precursor gas supply system provides a platinum precursor gas into the chamber wherein the platinum is bonded to a methyl compound so as to improve step coverage of the platinum when forming the conductive element.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the conductive precursor gas supply system introduces a (methylcyclopentadienyl)(trimethyl) platinum gas into the chemical vapor deposition chamber.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the reactant supply system introduces a reactant selected from the group comprising N 2 O, O 2 , NH 3 , NO, H 2 O, ozone, plasma, vacuum, inert gas, and UV light.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a waste receptacle that receives waste conductive precursor gas following introduction of the waste conductive precursor gas into the chamber and wherein the controller determines whether to introduce the reactant gas based upon the constituent components of the gas receives in the waste receptacle.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a sensor positioned within the waste receptacle that provides a signal indicative of the rate of deposition of the conductive element of the conductive precursor gas on the semiconductor device during formation of the conductive element.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor provides the controller with a signal indicative of the amount of conductive element being transmitted to the waste receptacle following introduction into the chamber such that when the amount of conductive element in the waste receptacle exceeds a pre-selected threshold, the controller can introduce the reactant into the chamber to reduce the build up of non-conductive components on the conductive element.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor comprises a mass spectrometer.