Method for forming a doped metal carbide film on a substrate and related semiconductor device structures

Abstract

Methods for depositing a doped metal carbide film on a substrate are disclosed. The methods may include: depositing a doped metal carbide film on a substrate utilizing at least one deposition cycle of a cyclical deposition process; and contacting the doped metal carbide film with a plasma generated from a hydrogen containing gas. Semiconductor device structures including a doped metal carbide film formed by the methods of the disclosure are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a doped metal carbide film on a substrate, the method comprising:
 depositing a doped metal carbide film on the substrate by at least one deposition cycle of a cyclical deposition process, the doped metal carbide film consisting of a single metal carbide layer; and   contacting the doped metal carbide film with a plasma generated from a hydrogen-containing gas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one deposition cycle of the cyclical deposition process comprises contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase reactant comprising a metal precursor and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase reactant comprising a carbon component and a metal component. 
     
     
         3 . The method of claim,  1  wherein the cyclical deposition process comprises an atomic layer deposition process. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of depositing the doped metal carbide film and contacting the doped metal carbide film with the plasma are repeated one or more times. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the metal precursor comprises a transition metal precursor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transition metal precursor comprises a transition metal halide. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the transitional metal halide comprises at least one of a transition metal chloride, a transition metal bromide, or a transition metal iodide. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the transition metal halide comprises at least one of titanium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, tungsten, molybdenum, or zirconium. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the metal component of the second vapor phase reactant comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second vapor phase reactant comprise an aluminum metalorganic precursor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the aluminum metalorganic precursor comprises at least one of trimethylaluminum (TMA), triethylaluminum (TEA), dimethylaluminumhydride (DMAH), or tritertbutylaluminum (TTBA). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the doped metal carbide film comprises an aluminum-doped transition metal carbide film. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the aluminum-doped transition metal carbide film comprises a composite material including doped transition metal carbide regions, aluminum carbide regions, and carbon regions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing the doped metal carbide film on the substrate to a thickness of greater than 3 Angstroms. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma is generated by direct plasma, remote plasma, or microwave plasma. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen-containing gas comprises at least one of hydrogen (H 2 ), ammonia (NH 3 ), hydrazine, or a hydrazine derivative. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein contacting the doped metal carbide with the plasma further comprises removing a portion of at least one of a carbon region, an oxygen region, or a chlorine region from the doped metal carbide. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein contacting the doped metal carbide film with the plasma further comprises reducing the electrical resistivity of the doped metal carbide film to less than approximately 1500 μΩ-cm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein contacting the doped metal carbide film with the plasma further comprises reducing an effective work function of a gate structure including the doped metal carbide film to less than approximately 4.3 eV for a metal carbide film thickness of less than 20 Angstroms. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depositing the doped metal carbide film is performed in a first reaction chamber and contacting the doped metal carbide film with the plasma is performed in a second reaction chamber.