US7368402B2
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US
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Systems and methods for forming tantalum oxide layers and tantalum precursor compounds
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 2004-08-23
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Granted: 2008-05-06
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Expires: 2024-08-23
Abstract
Abstract A method of forming (and apparatus for forming) a tantalum oxide layer on a substrate, particularly a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly, using a vapor deposition process and a tantalum precursor compound that includes alkoxide ligands, for example.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian A. Vaartstra
- 👤 Timothy A. Quick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:43
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6938; H10P14/6939; H10P14/69393; C; C07; C07F; C07F9/00; C07F9/005; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/405; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45523; C23C16/45525; C23C16/45553; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6339; H10P14/66; H10P14/668
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl; providing one or more sources of a reaction gas; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds and the one or more reaction gases to the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly to form a tantalum oxide layer on one or more surfaces of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
109 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl; providing one or more sources of a reaction gas; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds and the one or more reaction gases to the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly to form a tantalum oxide layer on one or more surfaces of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly is a silicon wafer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the tantalum oxide layer is a dielectric layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the tantalum oxide layer has a thickness of about 50 Å to about 150 Å.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction gas comprises oxygen, water vapor, ozone, alcohol vapor, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrogen peroxide, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the reaction gas comprises a vapor of an alcohol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor compounds are vaporized in the presence of an inert carrier gas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the inert carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, helium, argon, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the precursor compounds of Formula I are combined in a precursor composition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor compounds are dissolved in one or more organic solvents.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein providing a vapor comprising the one or more precursor compounds and directing the one or more precursor compounds and the one or more reaction gases is accomplished using a chemical vapor deposition process.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the temperature of the substrate assembly is about 100° C. to about 600° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly is in a deposition chamber having a pressure of about 0.1 torr to about 10 torr.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 wherein providing a vapor comprising the one or more precursor compounds and directing the one or more precursor compounds and the one or more reaction gases is accomplished using an atomic layer deposition process comprising a plurality of deposition cycles.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 14 wherein during the atomic layer deposition process, the tantalum oxide layer is formed by alternately introducing the one or more precursor compounds and reaction gases during each deposition cycle.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the temperature of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly is about 25° C. to about 400° C.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly is in a deposition chamber having a pressure of about 10 −4 torr to about 1 torr.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of manufacturing a memory device, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a first electrode thereon; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl; directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds to the substrate to form a tantalum oxide dielectric layer on the first electrode of the substrate; and forming a second electrode on the dielectric layer.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
94 words
A method of manufacturing a memory device, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a first electrode thereon; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl; directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds to the substrate to form a tantalum oxide dielectric layer on the first electrode of the substrate; and forming a second electrode on the dielectric layer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 18 further comprising providing one or more sources of a reaction gas and directing the one or more sources of a reaction gas to the substrate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 19 wherein the reaction gas is an oxidizing gas.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds to the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly to form a tantalum oxide layer on one or more surfaces of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds to the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly to form a tantalum oxide layer on one or more surfaces of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y (Formula I), wherein each R is an organic group, x=3-4, and y=1-2; providing a vapor comprising one or more metal-containing precursor compounds different than Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y ; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds of Formula I and the one or more other vaporized precursor compounds to the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly to form a tantalum oxide layer on one or more surfaces of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly, wherein the one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y are selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y (Formula I), wherein each R is an organic group, x=3-4, and y=1-2; providing a vapor comprising one or more metal-containing precursor compounds different than Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y ; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds of Formula I and the one or more other vaporized precursor compounds to the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly to form a tantalum oxide layer on one or more surfaces of the semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly, wherein the one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y are selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of manufacturing a memory device comprising: providing a substrate having a first electrode thereon; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y (Formula I), wherein each R is an organic group, x=3-4, and y=1-2; providing a vapor comprising one or more metal-containing precursor compounds different than Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y ; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds of Formula I and the one or more other vaporized precursor compounds to the substrate to form a tantalum oxide dielectric layer on the first electrode of the substrate; and forming a second electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta((OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 y are selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of manufacturing a memory device comprising: providing a substrate having a first electrode thereon; providing a vapor comprising one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y (Formula I), wherein each R is an organic group, x=3-4, and y=1-2; providing a vapor comprising one or more metal-containing precursor compounds different than Ta(OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 ) y ; and directing the one or more vaporized precursor compounds of Formula I and the one or more other vaporized precursor compounds to the substrate to form a tantalum oxide dielectric layer on the first electrode of the substrate; and forming a second electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the one or more precursor compounds of the formula Ta((OR 1 ) x (O—R 2 —OR 3 y are selected from the group consisting of Ta(OEt) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), Ta(OMe) 4 (OCH 2 CH 2 O i Pr), and combinations thereof, wherein Me=methyl, Et=ethyl, and i Pr=isopropyl.
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