Phase-stabilized thin films, structures and devices including the thin films, and methods of forming same
AssigneeASM IP Holding B.V.
InventorsRobert Brennan Milligan, Fred Alokozai
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Abstract
Nitrogen-containing phase-stabilized films, methods of forming phase-stabilized films, and structures and devices including the phase-stabilized films are disclosed. The phase-stabilized films include a matrix material and a phase stabilizer, which provides a morphologically stabilizing effect to a matrix material within the films. The phase-stabilized films may be used as, for example, gate electrodes and similar films in microelectronic devices.
Claims11
A cyclic deposition method of forming a phase-stabilized nitrogen-containing film comprising a solid solution having a stoichiometric ratio of MmzxMs(z-x)X, where Mmzx and Ms(z-x) are transition metals, one belonging to Group V, another belonging either to Group IV or to Group VI of Periodic Table, x varies in a range from greater than 0 to less than 1 and z varies in a range from greater than x to 1, wherein the phase-stabilized nitrogen-containing film comprises a matrix material and a phase stabilizer within the solid solution, wherein the phase-stabilized nitrogen-containing film is formed on a substrate within a reactor by exposing the substrate to a pulse of a matrix material precursor and a phase stabilizer precursor, removing an unreacted matrix material precursor and an unreacted phase stabilizer precursor from the reactor, exposing the substrate to a pulse of a nitrogen-containing reactant, and removing an unreacted nitrogen-containing reactant from the reactor, and wherein the phase stabilizer stabilizes the matrix material in a solution phase that is different from a native phase of the matrix material that would be formed under identical film formation conditions.
A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising a gate dielectric material and a gate electrode overlying the gate dielectric material, wherein the gate electrode comprising a solid solution having a stoichiometric ratio of MmzxMs(z-x)X, where Mmzx and Ms(z-x) are transition metals, one belonging to Group V, another belonging either to Group IV or Group VI of Periodic Table, x varies in a range from greater than 0 to less than 1 and z varies in a range from greater than x to 1, the solid solution comprising a phase stabilizer that stabilizes a metal nitride in a solution phase that is different from a native phase of the metal nitride that would be formed under identical formation conditions, wherein the solid solution is formed on a substrate within a reactor via a cyclic deposition process by exposing the substrate to a pulse of a matrix material precursor and a phase stabilizer precursor, removing an unreacted matrix material precursor and an unreacted phase stabilizer precursor from the reactor, exposing the substrate to a pulse of a nitrogen-containing reactant, and removing an unreacted nitrogen-containing reactant from the reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.