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

A method for forming a tantalum-containing layer on a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, comprising:

• forming a tantalum-containing monolayer upon the substrate by flowing a liquid TBTDET precursor along with Ar or N2 gas into a vaporizer and heating the liquid TBTDET precursor to a predetermined temperature of at least 65° C. to produce TBTDET process gas and chemisorbing the TBTDET, in the TBTDET gas, onto the substrate;
• reacting nitrogen with the tantalum-containing monolayer by exposing the tantalum-containing monolayer to a process gas containing NH3 gas to produce a layer of tantalum nitride;
• repeating forming the tantalum-containing layer and reacting nitrogen with the tantalum-containing monolayer to form a layer of tantalum nitride of desired thickness, defining a final tantalum nitride layer;
• and
• depositing a layer of copper adjacent to the final tantalum nitride layer.

A processing system for depositing a tantalum-containing layer on a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, the system comprising:

• means, in fluid communication with the processing chamber, for heating a TBTDET precursor to a predetermined temperature of at least 65° C. to form a tantalum-containing gas that includes TBTDET;
• means coupled to the processing chamber, for forming a tantalum-containing layer upon the substrate by adsorption of TBTDET, contained in the tantalum-containing gas, onto the substrate;
• and
• reacting nitrogen with the tantalum-containing layer by exposing the tantalum-containing layer to a nitrogen-containing process gas to produce a layer of tantalum nitride.

A processing system for forming a tantalum-containing layer on a substrate, the system comprising:

• a body defining a processing chamber;
• a holder disposed within the processing chamber to support the substrate;
• a gas delivery system in fluid communication with the processing chamber, with the gas delivery system including a supply of a TBTDET precursor and a supply of a nitrogen-containing process gas, a supply of a first carrier gas and a supply of a second carrier gas;
• a temperature control system in thermal communication with the processing chamber;
• a pressure control system in fluid communication with the processing chamber;
• a controller in electrical communication with the gas delivery system, the temperature control system, and the pressure control system;
• and
• a memory in data communication with the controller, the memory comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein, the computer-readable program including a first set of instructions for controlling the gas delivery system to heat the TBTDET precursor to a predetermined temperature of at least 65° C. to form a tantalum-containing gas that includes TBTDET and a second set of instructions to control the gas delivery system, the pressure control system and the temperature control system to introduce the tantalum-containing gas into the processing chamber and form a tantalum-containing layer upon the substrate by adsorption of TBTDET contained in the tantalum-containing gas, and a third set of instructions to control the gas delivery system, the pressure control system and the temperature control system to introduce the nitrogen-containing process gas into the processing chamber and expose the tantalum-containing layer to the nitrogen-containing process gas to react nitrogen with the tantalum-containing layer to produce a layer of tantalum nitride of desired thickness.