Sequential deposition of tantalum nitride using a tantalum-containing precursor and a nitrogen-containing precursor

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for forming tantalum nitride materials on a substrate by employing an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The method includes heating a tantalum precursor within an ampoule to a predetermined temperature to form a tantalum precursor gas and sequentially exposing a substrate to the tantalum precursor gas and a nitrogen precursor to form a tantalum nitride material. Thereafter, a nucleation layer and a bulk layer may be deposited on the substrate. In one example, a radical nitrogen compound may be formed from the nitrogen precursor during a plasma-enhanced ALD process. A nitrogen precursor may include nitrogen or ammonia. In another example, a metal-organic tantalum precursor may be used during the deposition process.

1 . A method for forming a tantalum-containing material on a substrate comprising:
 flowing a heated tantalum-containing precursor through a conduit and into a process chamber in which a substrate is placed; and   exposing the substrate to at least sequential pulses of the heated tantalum-containing precursor and a nitrogen-containing precursor during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) based process to deposit a tantalum nitride material on a surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 depositing a nucleation layer on the tantalum nitride material by a process selected from the group of an atomic layer based deposition technique, a physical vapor deposition based technique, a chemical vapor deposition based technique, or combinations thereof; and   depositing a bulk layer on the nucleation layer by a process selected from the group of an atomic layer based deposition technique, a physical vapor deposition based technique, a chemical vapor deposition based technique, an electroplating technique, or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 exposing a surface of the substrate to a pretreatment process prior to the forming the tantalum-containing material on the substrate.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pretreatment process comprises terminating the surface of the substrate with one or more functional groups comprise hydroxyls, alkoxys, haloxyls, halides, aminos, or amidos. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 flowing a carrier gas into the process chamber during the ALD based process; and   terminating at least one of the tantalum-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing precursor while still flowing the carrier gas.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the tantalum-containing precursor is terminated while still flowing the carrier gas and the nitrogen-containing precursor. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the tantalum-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing precursor are terminated while still flowing the carrier gas for a sufficient amount of time. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the flow of the carrier gas is increased after the tantalum-containing precursor and the nitrogen-containing precursor are terminated to maintain a constant processing pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit is maintained at a temperature within a range from about 50° C. to about 450° C. during the ALD based process. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the temperature of the conduit is maintained within a range from about 65° C. to about 275° C. during the ALD based process. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 heating the substrate to a deposition temperature between about 250° C. to about 450° C.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ALD based process is a plasma-enhanced ALD process forming a radical nitrogen compound from the nitrogen precursor in a remote process chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, ammonia, hydrazine, azides, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof, and the radical nitrogen compound is selected from the group consisting of N 3 , N 2 , N, NH, NH 2 , derivatives thereof and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method for processing a substrate comprising:
 forming a tantalum-containing material on the substrate by a process comprising:
 flowing a heated tantalum precursor gas through a conduit and into a process chamber; and 
 exposing the substrate to at least sequential pulses of the tantalum precursor gas and a radical nitrogen compound during a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process to deposit a tantalum nitride material on a surface of the substrate; and 
   depositing a nucleation layer on the tantalum nitride material by a process selected from the group of an atomic layer based deposition technique, a physical vapor deposition based technique, a chemical vapor deposition based technique, or combinations thereof; and   depositing a bulk layer on the nucleation layer by a process selected from the group of an atomic layer based deposition technique, a chemical vapor deposition based technique, an electroplating technique, or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming the tantalum-containing material on the substrate further comprises:
 heating the substrate to a deposition temperature between about 250° C. to about 450° C.; and   heating and maintaining a temperature of the conduit containing the tantalum precursor within a range from about 50° C. to about 450° C. during the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising exposing the surface of the substrate to a pretreatment process prior to the forming the tantalum-containing material on the substrate, wherein the pretreatment process comprises terminating the surface of the substrate with one or more functional groups comprise hydroxyls, alkoxy, haloxyls, halides, aminos, or amidos. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the bulk layer comprises copper. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 flowing a carrier gas into the process chamber during the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process; and   terminating at least one of tantalum precursor gas and a flow of the radical nitrogen compound while still flowing the carrier gas.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the tantalum precursor gas and the flow of the radical nitrogen compound are terminated while still flowing the carrier gas for a sufficient amount of time. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process comprises forming a radical nitrogen compound from the nitrogen precursor in a remote process chamber, wherein the nitrogen precursor is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, ammonia, hydrazine, azides, derivatives thereof and combinations thereof, and the radical nitrogen compound is selected from the group consisting of N 3 , N 2 , N, NH, NH 2 , derivatives thereof and combinations thereof.