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Low-temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition growth of WNxCy from a novel precursor for barrier applications in nanoscale devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Wanxue Zeng ,
Xiaodong Wang ,
Sumit Kumar ,
David W. Peters  and
Eric T. Eisenbraun
Wanxue Zeng*
Affiliation:
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, the State University of New York, Albany, New York 12203
Xiaodong Wang
Affiliation:
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, the State University of New York, Albany, New York 12203
Sumit Kumar
Affiliation:
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, the State University of New York, Albany, New York 12203
David W. Peters
Affiliation:
Praxair, Inc., Tonawanda, New York 14150
Eric T. Eisenbraun
Affiliation:
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany, the State University of New York, Albany, New York 12203
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: wanxue@rocketmail.com
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Abstract

A low-temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process has been developed for the growth of ultrathin WNxCy films, using a halide-free W precursor. A 32-nm-thick PEALD WNxCy film deposited using this process at 250 °C possesses a composition of W72C20N5, resistivity of ∼250 μΩ·cm, a root-mean-square (rms) surface roughness of 0.23 nm, and a thickness conformality of more than 80% on trench structures with a width of 120 nm and an aspect ratio of 11. The WNxCy films exhibited excellent thermal stability, whereby resistivity, thickness, surface roughness, and crystal structure were stable after 30 min anneals in 700 Torr, forming gas ambient at temperatures up to 700 °C. Copper diffusion barrier performance measurements show that a 9 nm thick WNxCy film could prevent copper diffusion after a 30 min anneal at 700 °C, while a 2-nm-thick film could prevent copper diffusion after a 30 min anneal at 500 °C.

Keywords

Atomic layer depositionBarrier layerMetalorganic deposition
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , March 2007 , pp. 703 - 709
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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