Atomic layer deposition using metal amidinates
AssigneeHavard University
InventorsRoy Gordon, Booyong Lim
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Abstract
Metal films are deposited with uniform thickness and excellent step coverage. Copper metal films were deposited on heated substrates by the reaction of alternating doses of copper(I) NN′-diisopropylacetamidinate vapor and hydrogen gas. Cobalt metal films were deposited on heated substrates by the reaction of alternating doses of cobalt(II) bis(N,N′-diisopropylacetamidinate) vapor and hydrogen gas. Nitrides and oxides of these metals can be formed by replacing the hydrogen with ammonia or water vapor, respectively. The films have very uniform thickness and excellent step coverage in narrow holes. Suitable applications include electrical interconnects in microelectronics and magnetoresistant layers in magnetic information storage devices.
Claims45
A process for forming a thin film comprising a metal, comprising:
- exposing a heated substrate alternately to the vapor of one or more volatile metal amidinate compounds, and then to a reducing gas or vapor, to form a metal coating on the surface of the substrate.
A process for forming a thin film comprising a metal nitride, comprising:
- exposing a heated substrate alternately to the vapor of one or more volatile metal amidinate compounds, and then to a nitrogen-containing gas or vapor, to form a metal nitride coating on the surface of the substrate.
A process for forming a thin film comprising a metal oxide, comprising:
- exposing a heated substrate alternately to the vapor of one or more volatile metal amidinate compounds, and then to an oxygen-containing gas or vapor, to form a metal oxide coating on the surface of the substrate.
A composition of matter that is a volatile metal(I) amidinate represented by the general formula for a dimer,
- or oligomers thereof, wherein M is selected from the metals copper, silver, gold, iridium, and sodium, and wherein R1, R1′, R2, and R2′ independently represent alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, trialkylsilyl groups, or other non-metal atoms or groups that are not aryl, and R3 and R3′ independently represent hydrogen, alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, trialkylsilyl groups, or other non-metal atoms or groups that are not aryl.
A composition of matter that is a volatile metal(II) bis(amidinate) represented by the general formula
- or oligomers thereof, wherein the metal M is selected from cobalt, nickel, manganese, ruthenium, zinc, titanium, vanadium, europium, strontium, and calcium, and wherein R1, R1′, R2, and R2′ independently represent alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, trialkylsilyl groups, or other non-metal atoms or groups that are not aryl, and R3 and R3′ independently represent hydrogen, alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, trialkylsilyl groups, or other non-metal atoms or groups that are not aryl.
A composition of matter that is a volatile metal(III) tris(amidinate) represented by the general formula
- or oligomers thereof, wherein the metal M is selected from lanthanum, praseodymium and the other lanthanide metals, yttrium, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, iron, ruthenium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, and bismuth, and wherein R1, R1′, R2, and R2′ independently represent alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, trialkylsilyl groups, or other non-metal atoms or groups that are not aryl, and R3 and R3′ independently represent hydrogen, alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, trialkylsilyl groups, or other non-metal atoms or groups that are not aryl.
A process for forming a thin film comprising a transition metal or a lanthanide metal, the process comprising:
- exposing one or more volatile metal amidinate compounds, wherein the metal comprises a transition metal or a lanthanide metal, to a substrate to form the thin film comprising a transition metal or a lanthanide metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.