Patent US6172782B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6482262B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6482262B1
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Deposition of transition metal carbides
Assignee: ASM International NV
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Filing: 2000-10-13
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Granted: 2002-11-19
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Expires: 2020-10-13
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates generally to a method of depositing transition metal carbide thin films. In particular, the invention concerns a method of depositing transition metal carbide thin films by atomic layer deposition (ALD), in which a transition metal source compound and a carbon source compound are alternately provided to the substrate. A variety of metal and carbon source gases are disclosed. The methods are applicable to forming metal carbide thin films in semiconductor fabrication, and particularly to forming thin, conductive diffusion barriers within integrated circuits.
Inventors
- 👤 Kai-Erik Elers
- 👤 Suvi P. Haukka
- 👤 Ville Antero Saanila
- 👤 Sari Johanna Kaipio
- 👤 Pekka Juha Soininen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 05:30
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/02; C23C16/0272; C23C16/04; C23C16/045; C23C16/06; C23C16/08; C23C16/14; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/32; C23C16/34; C23C16/44; C23C16/4401; C23C16/455; C23C16/45523; C23C16/45525; C23C16/45527; C23C16/45536; C23C16/45542; C23C16/45553; C23C16/45555; C30; C30B; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B25/14; C30B29/00; C30B29/02; C30B29/10; C30B29/36; C30B29/38; H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/40; H10P14/418; H10P14/42; H10P14/43; H10P14/432; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/033; H10W20/042; H10W20/045; H10W20/056; H10W20/071; H10W20/081; H10W20/084; H10W20/40; H10W20/41; H10W20/42; H10W20/425; H10W20/44; H10W20/4403; H10W20/4421; H10W20/4432; H10W20/45; H10W20/47; H10W20/48
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
22 words
A method of forming a thin film, comprising depositing a transition metal carbide thin film by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
22 words
A method of forming a thin film, comprising depositing a transition metal carbide thin film by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein vapor-phase pulses are alternately introduced in a cycle comprising: introducing a transition metal source gas into a reaction space containing a substrate; removing excess transition metal source gas and gaseous reaction byproducts from the reaction space; introducing a carbon source gas into the reaction space; and removing excess carbon source gas and gaseous reaction byproducts from the reaction space.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the metal source gas reacts with a surface of the substrate, thereby producing a surface bound transition metal complex.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the surface bound transition metal complex forms no more than about one monolayer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the carbon source gas reacts with the surface bound transition metal complex to leave a transition metal carbide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein gaseous reaction byproducts are formed by the reaction of the surface bound transition metal complex with the carbon source gas.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the transition metal source gas and carbon source gas are each fed into the reaction space with the aid of an inert carrier gas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 2 , further comprising feeding an inert gas pulse to the reaction space after each pulse of transition metal source gas and carbon source gas.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the transition metal source gas comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo and W.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein the transition metal source gas is a metal halide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the transition metal source gas is tungsten hexafluoride.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbon source gas comprises a boon compound comprising at least one boron atom and at least one carbon atom.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the boron source compound is an alkyl boron compound.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein the boron compound is triethylboron.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbon source gas comprises a silicon compound comprising at least one silicon atom and at least one carbon atom.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 15 , wherein the silicon source compound is an alkylsilicon compound.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbon source gas comprises a phosphorous compound comprising at least one phosphorous atom and at least one carbon atom.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 17 , wherein the phosphorous source compound is an alkylphosphorus compound.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbon source gas comprises a hydrocarbon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the hydrocarbon is a linear or branched alkane.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the carbon source gas comprises radicals generated in a plasma formed from hydrocarbons.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal carbide thin film forms a conductive diffusion barrier in an integrated circuit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein the conductive diffusion barrier comprises a liner in a dual damascene void.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal carbide thin film forms a hard coating on a substrate to protect against mechanical wear.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal carbide thin film forms a corrosion protection layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal carbide thin film forms a chemical reaction catalyst.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of producing an electron conductor in an integrated circuit by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, in which each of a plurality of cycles comprises exposing an adsorbed transition metal complex on a substrate to a carbon compound, the carbon compound reacting with the adsorbed transition metal complex to form no more than about one monolayer of transition metal carbide.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of producing an electron conductor in an integrated circuit by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, in which each of a plurality of cycles comprises exposing an adsorbed transition metal complex on a substrate to a carbon compound, the carbon compound reacting with the adsorbed transition metal complex to form no more than about one monolayer of transition metal carbide.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 27 , wherein at least a portion of the metal source gas adsorbs upon the substrate, thereby producing the adsorbed metal complex.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 27 , wherein the metal complex comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo and W.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-18 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-18 | 2010-05-20 | 2010-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-18 | 2014-05-20 | 2014-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |