Methods for forming a transition metal niobium nitride film on a substrate by atomic layer deposition and related semiconductor device structures

Abstract

Methods for forming a transition metal niobium nitride film on a substrate by atomic layer deposition and related semiconductor device structures are provided. In some embodiments methods may include contacting a substrate with a first reactant comprising a transition metal precursor, contacting the substrate with a second reactant comprising a niobium precursor and contacting the substrate with a third reactant comprising a nitrogen precursor. In some embodiments related semiconductor device structures may include a semiconductor body and an electrode comprising a transition metal niobium nitride disposed over the semiconductor body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a transition metal niobium nitride film on a substrate by atomic layer deposition, the method comprising:
 performing a deposition cycle, the deposition cycle comprising:
 contacting the substrate with a first reactant comprising a transition metal precursor, 
 contacting the substrate with a second reactant comprising a niobium precursor, 
 contacting the substrate with a third reactant comprising a nitrogen precursor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the deposition cycle comprises sequentially contacting with the first reactant, the third reactant and the second reactant. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the deposition cycle is repeated two or more times and wherein a reaction with the third reactant leaves a termination on the substrate surface that is further reactive with the first reactant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after contacting with the substrate with the second reactant, purging any unreacted second reactant,   wherein the step of contacting the substrate with a third reactant is subsequent to the step of contacting the substrate with the first reactant.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is a plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition process. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising, heating the substrate to a temperature of between approximately 250° C. and approximately 400° C. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is a thermal atomic layer deposition process. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising, heating the substrate to a temperature of between approximately 350° C. and approximately 450° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the transition metal niobium nitride to have a Young's modulus of greater than approximately 390 gigapascals. 
     
     
         10 . A method for forming a transition metal niobium nitride film on a substrate by atomic layer deposition, the method comprising:
 performing a deposition cycle, the deposition cycle comprising:
 contacting the substrate with a first reactant comprising a transition metal precursor, 
 contacting the substrate with a second reactant comprising a niobium precursor, 
 contacting the substrate with a third reactant comprising a nitrogen precursor, 
   wherein the first reactant comprises at least one of the transition metals selected from the group consisting of scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), manganese (Mn), technetium (Tc), rhenium (Re), iron (Fe), ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), cobalt (Co), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg).   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second reactant is selected from the group consisting of niobium pentafluoride (NbF 5 ), niobium pentaboride (NbB 5 ), niobium pentaiodide (NbI 5 ) and niobium pentabromide (NbBr 5 ). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first reactant comprises at least one of the transition metals selected from the group consisting of tantalum and tungsten. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first reactant comprises tungsten. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first reactant comprises tantalum. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising selecting the nitrogen precursor to comprise at least one of ammonia (NH 3 ), ammonia salts, hydrogen azide (HN 3 ), alkyl derivatives of hydrogen azide, hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ), hydrazine salts, alkyl derivatives of hydrazine, nitrogen fluoride (NF 3 ) and plasma-excited species of nitrogen (N 2 ). 
     
     
         16 . A method for forming a transition metal niobium nitride film on a substrate by atomic layer deposition, the method comprising:
 performing a deposition cycle, the deposition cycle comprising:
 contacting the substrate with a first reactant comprising a transition metal precursor, 
 contacting the substrate with a second reactant comprising a niobium precursor, 
   contacting the substrate with a third reactant comprising a nitrogen precursor, wherein contacting the substrate with the third reactant further comprises contacting the substrate with a plasma-excited species of nitrogen.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the nitrogen precursor comprises at least one of ammonia (NH 3 ), ammonia salts, hydrogen azide (HN 3 ), alkyl derivatives of hydrogen azide, hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ), hydrazine salts, alkyl derivatives of hydrazine, nitrogen fluoride (NF 3 ) and plasma-excited species of nitrogen (N 2 ). 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the third reactant comprises plasma-excited species of nitrogen (N 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein contacting the substrate with the third reactant further comprises contacting the substrate with a plasma-excited species of hydrogen (H 2 ). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein contacting the substrate with the first reactant comprises flowing the first reactant for a first reactant pulse period, wherein contacting the substrate with the third reactant comprises flowing the third reactant for a third reactant pulse period, wherein the first reactant pulse period and the third reactant pulse period at least partially overlap in the deposition cycle.