Thermally stable volatile precursors

Abstract

A method of forming a thin film on a substrate which includes a step of contacting a surface with a precursor compound having a transition metal and one or more alkyl-1,3-diazabutadiene ligands is provided. The resulting modified surface is then contacted with an activating compound.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for depositing a thin film on a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:
 a) contacting the substrate with a vapor of a metal-containing compound to form a modified surface on the substrate, the metal-containing compound being described by formulae I:   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein:
 M is a transition metal; 
 n is the formal charge of M; 
 m is an integer; 
 o is an integer such that the overall formal charge of the compound having formula I is 0; 
 p is the formal charge of the ligand within the brackets; 
 R 1  is C 1 -C 12  alkyl, amine, or C 6 -C 18  aryl; and 
 R 2  is hydrogen, C 1 -C 10  alkyl, C 6 -C 18  aryl, amino, C 1 -C 12  alkylamino, or C 2 -C 24  dialkylamino; and 
 b) contacting the modified surface with a vapor of an activating compound to form at least a portion of the thin film on the surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the activating compound is a reducing agent and the thin film is a metallic film. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of molecular hydrogen, atomic hydrogen, silane, disilane, organosilanes, compounds containing Si—H bonds, germane, organogermanes, compounds containing Ge—H bonds, stannane, compounds containing Sn—H bonds, other metal hydride compounds, formic acid, glyoxalic acid, oxalic acid, other carboxylic acids, diborane, compounds containing B—H bonds, hydrazine, carbon-substituted hydrazines, formalin, formaldehyde, organic alcohols, organoaluminum compounds, organozinc compounds, and plasma-activated versions thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the activating compound is an oxidizing agent and the thin film is a metal oxide. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of water, ozone, molecular oxygen, atomic oxygen, organic alcohols, hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides, organic peroxides, nitrous oxide, and plasma-activated versions of thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the activating compound is a nitrogen-containing agent and the thin film is a metal nitride. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the nitrogen activating compound is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrazine, alkyl-substituted hydrazines, and plasma activated versions thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the compound having formula I is thermally activated. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the compound having formula I is plasma activated. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein R 1  and R 2  are each independently C 1 -C 4  alkyl. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein R 1  and R 2  are each independently methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, or t-butyl. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein R 1  is t-butyl. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein
 n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; 
 m is 1; and 
 o is 1, 2, or 3. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein
 n is 2; 
 m is 1; and 
 o is 2. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein M is Cr(II), Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), or Ni(II). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the metal-containing compound is described by formulae II: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         17 . A compound having formula I: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein:
 M is a transition metal selected from groups 3-7 of the periodic table, Ru, Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ir; 
 n is the formal charge of M; 
 m is an integer; 
 o is an integer such that the overall formal charge of the compound having formula I is 0; 
 p is the formal charge of the ligand within brackets; 
 R 1  is C 1 -C 12  alkyl, amine, or C 6 -C 18  aryl; and 
 R 2  is hydrogen, C 1 -C 10  alkyl, C 6 -C 18  aryl, amino, C 1 -C 12  alkylamino, or C 2 -C 24  dialkylamino. 
 
     
     
         18 . The compound of  claim 17  wherein R 1  and R 2  are each independently C 1 -C 4  alkyl. 
     
     
         19 . The compound of  claim 17  wherein R 1  and R 2  are each independently methyl, ethyl, propyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, or t-butyl. 
     
     
         20 . The compound of  claim 17  wherein R 1  is t-butyl.