Method for tuning a deposition rate during an atomic layer deposition process

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide methods for depositing a material on a substrate within a processing chamber during a vapor deposition process, such as an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In one embodiment, a method is provided which includes sequentially exposing the substrate to a first precursor gas and at least a second precursor gas while depositing a material on the substrate during the ALD process, and continuously or periodically exposing the substrate to a treatment gas prior to and/or during the ALD process. The deposition rate of the material being deposited may be controlled by varying the amount of treatment gas exposed to the substrate. In one example, tantalum nitride is deposited on the substrate and the alkylamino metal precursor gas contains a tantalum precursor, such as pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum (PDMAT), the second precursor gas contains a nitrogen precursor, such as ammonia, and the treatment gas contains dimethylamine (DMA).

1 . A method for depositing a material on a substrate surface, comprising:
 exposing a substrate sequentially to an alkylamino metal precursor gas and a second precursor gas while depositing a material on the substrate during an atomic layer deposition process; and   exposing the substrate to a treatment gas comprising an alkylamine compound prior to or during the atomic layer deposition process.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is continuously exposed to the treatment gas during the atomic layer deposition process. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is periodically exposed to the treatment gas during the atomic layer deposition process. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is exposed to the treatment gas prior to the atomic layer deposition process. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exposing the substrate to the treatment gas reduces the deposition rate of the material during the atomic layer deposition process by about 95% or less. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is deposited on the substrate at a deposition rate within a range from about 0.05 Å/cycle to about 1.0 Å/cycle. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the deposition rate is about 0.5 Å/cycle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alkylamine compound has the chemical formula of H 2 NR or HNR′R″, where each R, R′, and R″ is independently selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, amyl, phenyl, aryl, isomers thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the alkylamine compound is selected from the group consisting of methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, methylethylamine, propylamine, dipropylamine, butylamine, dibutylamine, isomers thereof, derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alkylamino metal precursor gas comprises a tantalum precursor selected from the group consisting of pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum, pentakis(diethylamino) tantalum, pentakis(ethylmethylamino) tantalum, tert-butylimino tris(dimethylamino) tantalum, tert-butylimino tris(diethylamino) tantalum, tert-butylimino tris(ethylmethylamino) tantalum, tert-amylimino-tris(dimethylamino) tantalum, tert-amylimino-tris(diethylamino) tantalum, tert-amylimino-tris(ethylmethylamino) tantalum, and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the tantalum precursor is pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum and the alkylamine compound gas comprises methylamine or dimethylamine. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second precursor gas comprises a nitrogen precursor and the material deposited comprises tantalum nitride. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the nitrogen precursor comprises ammonia. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment gas further comprises at least one carrier gas selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrogen, nitrogen, argon, helium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the treatment gas comprises dimethylamine, ammonia, and argon. 
     
     
         16 . A method for depositing a material on a substrate surface, comprising:
 exposing a substrate sequentially to an alkylamino metal precursor gas and a second precursor gas while depositing a material on the substrate at a first deposition rate during an atomic layer deposition process within a processing chamber;   exposing the substrate to a treatment gas comprising an alkylamine compound prior to or during the atomic layer deposition process; and   depositing the material on the substrate at a second deposition rate during the atomic layer deposition process, wherein the second deposition rate is less than the first deposition rate.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second deposition rate is about 95% or less of the first deposition rate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second deposition rate is within a range from about 0.05 Å/cycle to about 1.0 Å/cycle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second deposition rate is about 0.5 Å/cycle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the alkylamino metal precursor gas comprises a tantalum precursor selected from the group consisting of pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum, pentakis(diethylamino) tantalum, pentakis(ethylmethylamino) tantalum, tert-butylimino tris(dimethylamino) tantalum, tert-butylimino tris(diethylamino) tantalum, tert-butylimino tris(ethylmethylamino) tantalum, tert-amylimino-tris(dimethylamino) tantalum, tert-amylimino-tris(diethylamino) tantalum, tert-amylimino-tris(ethylmethylamino) tantalum, and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the tantalum precursor is pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum and the alkylamine compound gas comprises methylamine or dimethylamine. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the second precursor gas comprises ammonia and the material deposited comprises tantalum nitride. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the treatment gas comprises dimethylamine, ammonia, and argon. 
     
     
         24 . A method for depositing a material on a substrate surface, comprising:
 exposing a substrate disposed within the processing chamber to a carrier gas having a continuous flow;   exposing the substrate sequentially to a tantalum precursor gas and a nitrogen precursor gas while depositing a tantalum nitride material on the substrate during an atomic layer deposition process, wherein the tantalum precursor gas comprises pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum, and the atomic layer deposition process comprises sequentially pulsing the tantalum precursor gas and the nitrogen precursor gas into the carrier gas with the continuous flow to deposit the tantalum nitride material; and   introducing a treatment gas comprising dimethylamine to the carrier gas to expose the substrate to the treatment gas prior to or during the atomic layer deposition process.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the exposing the substrate to the treatment gas reduces the deposition rate of the material during the atomic layer deposition process by about 95% or less.