# US 2022/0285147 A1 · Methods and systems for forming a layer comprising aluminum, titanium, and carbon

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- Number: US 2022/0285147 A1
- Document ID: US20220285147A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/685,525
- Filed: 2022-03-03
- Published: 2022-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-08
- Assignees: ASM IP Holding B.V.
- Applicants: ASM IP Holding B.V.
- Inventors: Lifu Chen; Qi Xie; Charles Dezelah; Petro Deminskyi; Giuseppe Alessio Verni; Petri Raisanen; Eric James Shero
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220285147A1

## CPC

- C23C 16/405: {of refractory metals or yttrium}
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- C23C 16/045: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates}
- C23C 16/08: from metal halides
- C23C 16/45527: {characterized by the ALD cycle, e.g. different flows or temperatures during half-reactions, unusual pulsing sequence, use of precursor mixtures or auxiliary reactants or activations}
- C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus}
- C23C 16/45553: {characterized by the use of precursors specially adapted for ALD}
- C23C 16/52: Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)}
- H10D 64/037: {comprising charge-trapping insulators}
- H10P 14/412: {Deposition of metallic or metal-silicide materials}
- H10P 14/432: {using selective deposition}
- H10P 14/668: {the materials being characterised by the deposition precursor materials}
- H10P 14/69397: {the material containing two or more metal elements}
- H10W 20/056: {by filling conductive material into holes, grooves or trenches}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for depositing layers comprising a titanium, aluminum, and carbon. The layers are formed onto a surface of a substrate. The deposition process comprises a cyclical deposition process. Exemplary structures in which the layers may be incorporated include field effect transistors, VNAND cells, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures, and DRAM capacitors.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a layer on a substrate, the method comprising:
providing the substrate in a reaction chamber;
executing a plurality of deposition cycles;
wherein a deposition cycle comprises
an aluminum precursor pulse, the aluminum precursor pulse comprising exposing the substrate to an aluminum precursor, the aluminum precursor comprising aluminum, a first alkyl ligand, and a second alkyl ligand, the first alkyl ligand and the second alkyl ligand being different; and,
a transition metal precursor pulse, the transition metal precursor pulse comprising exposing the substrate to a transition metal precursor, the transition metal precursor comprising a transition metal;
thus forming the layer on the substrate, the layer comprising the transition metal, the aluminum, and carbon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein executing a plurality of deposition cycles is preceded by executing one or more priming steps, a priming step comprising exposing the substrate to the transition metal precursor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aluminum precursor comprises a chemical compound represented by the formula (L1)n(L2)n-1Al, wherein L1 is the first alkyl ligand, L2 is the second alkyl ligand, and n is an integer that equals 1 or 2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3 wherein L1 is 1,1-dimethylethyl.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3 wherein L2 is methyl.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the first alkyl ligand is a C1 to C5 alkyl.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the second alkyl ligand is a C1 to C5 alkyl.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the aluminum precursor comprises bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)methylaluminum.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the transition metal precursor comprises a halogen.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9 wherein the halogen comprises chlorine.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the transition metal is selected from tantalum, hafnium, vanadium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, and titanium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein subsequent deposition cycles are separated by an inter deposition cycle purge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2 wherein the aluminum precursor pulse and the transition metal precursor pulse are separated by an intra deposition cycle purge.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the deposition cycles are executed in absence of a plasma.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the method is carried out until a layer having a thickness of least 0.2 nm to at most 5 nm is formed on the substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a monocrystalline silicon wafer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of exposing the substrate to an oxygen containing gas, thereby at least partially oxidizing the layer comprising the transition metal, the aluminum, and carbon.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A semiconductor device comprising a layer formed according to a method according to claim 1.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A VNAND contact comprising a layer deposited by means of a method according to claim 1.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A system comprising:
a reaction chamber;
an aluminum precursor gas source comprising an aluminum precursor, the aluminum precursor comprising aluminum, a first alkyl ligand, and a second alkyl ligand, the first alkyl ligand and the second alkyl ligand being different;
a transition metal precursor gas source comprising a transition metal precursor; and,
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control gas flow into the reaction chamber to form a layer on a substrate comprised in the reaction chamber by means of a method according to claim 1.