US2014273525A1PendingUtilityA1

Atomic Layer Deposition of Reduced-Leakage Post-Transition Metal Oxide Films

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Assignee: INTERMOLECULAR INCPriority: Mar 13, 2013Filed: Sep 6, 2013Published: Sep 18, 2014
Est. expiryMar 13, 2033(~6.6 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kurt PangSean BarstowChi-I LangMichael MillerSandip NiyogiPrashant B. Phatak
H10P 90/12H10P 74/207H10P 74/203H10P 50/242H10P 14/69395H10P 14/69392H10P 14/69391H10P 14/6939H10P 14/6938H10P 14/6339H10P 14/668H10P 14/40H10P 14/00H10D 64/0116H10W 20/0526H10D 62/882H10D 64/20H10D 30/67H10D 30/47H10D 30/031H10D 30/021H10F 39/805H10F 39/028H10F 39/18H01L 21/02181H01L 21/02189H01L 21/02205H01L 21/02178H01L 21/0228
57
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Claims

Abstract

Metal-oxide films (e.g., aluminum oxide) with low leakage current suitable for high-k gate dielectrics are deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The purge time after the metal-deposition phase is 5-15 seconds, and the purge time after the oxidation phase is prolonged beyond 60 seconds. Prolonging the post-oxidation purge produced an order-of-magnitude reduction of leakage current in 30 Å-thick Al 2 O 3 films.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a metal oxide film on a substrate in a process chamber, the method comprising:
 exposing the substrate to a metal precursor;   performing a first purge of the chamber;   exposing the substrate to an oxygen precursor; and   performing a second purge of the chamber;   wherein the second purge has a duration longer than about 60 seconds.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second purge has a duration between about 60 seconds and about 120 seconds. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second purge has a duration between about 65 seconds and about 80 seconds. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first purge has a duration shorter than about 15 seconds. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first purge has a duration between about 5 seconds and about 15 seconds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide film formed by exposing the substrate to the metal precursor, performing the first purge, exposing the substrate to the oxygen precursor, and performing the second purge has an effective thickness between about 0.6 Å and about 1.2 Å. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the steps of exposing the substrate to the metal precursor, performing the first purge, exposing the substrate to the oxygen precursor, and performing the second purge until the metal oxide film is between about 2 Å and about 50 Åthick. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the metal oxide film has a leakage current density less than about 0.1 microamps per square centimeter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the metal oxide film has a leakage current density less than about 0.05 microamps per square centimeter. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the metal oxide film has a leakage current density between about 0.01 and about 0.05 microamps per square centimeter. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the steps of exposing the substrate to the metal precursor, performing the first purge, exposing the substrate to the oxygen precursor, and performing the second purge until the metal oxide film is between about 2 Å and about 10 Åthick. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the steps of exposing the substrate to the metal precursor, performing the first purge, exposing the substrate to the oxygen precursor, and performing the second purge until the metal oxide film is between about 25 Å and about 35 Åthick. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal precursor comprises an aluminum, zirconium, or hafnium precursor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the metal precursor comprises an aluminum precursor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the aluminum precursor comprises trimethylaluminum. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen precursor comprises water or ozone. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second purge comprises flooding the chamber with an inert gas. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the inert gas comprises argon, nitrogen, or helium. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first purge comprises flooding the chamber with an inert gas. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the inert gas comprises argon, nitrogen, or helium.

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