Ti(Al)N thin films were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from titanium tetrachloride, ammonia, and trimethylaluminum. The most important role of trimethylaluminum was to act as an extra ...reducing agent in order to lower the required deposition temperature. The films were deposited using four different schemes, where the pulsing order and pulse time of the reactants, and the deposition temperature, were varied. The film properties were analyzed by energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), time‐of‐flight elastic recoil detection analysis (TOF‐ERDA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and resistivity measurements. Additionally, the diffusion barrier properties of selected 10 nm thick films were studied. Both carbon and aluminum were incorporated into the Ti(Al)N films. Despite that, at deposition temperatures of 400 °C and lower, Ti(Al)N films exhibited better characteristics than TiN films deposited from titanium tetrachloride and ammonia.
Ti(Al)N thin films are prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from trimethylaluminum, titanium tetrachloride, and ammonia. Trimethylaluminum is used as an extra reducing agent in order to lower the deposition temperature by extracting chlorine atoms from decomposing TiCl4 molecules. Deposited films are analyzed using EDX, XRD, TOF elastic recoil detection, and resistivity measurements. Ti(Al)N films deposited at 400 °C are found to exhibit better characteristics than TiN deposited in the absence of trimethylaluminum.
NbN
x
thin films were grown by the atomic layer deposition method using niobium chloride and ammonia as precursors. The deposition temperature was varied between 250 and 500 °C. The film properties ...were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis, X-ray diffraction, and the standard four-point probe method. Additionally the diffusion barrier properties of approximately 10 nm thick NbN
x
thin films deposited at 350, 400, and 500 °C were studied. As a comparison the barrier properties of Nb(Ta)N and Nb(Ti)N thin films deposited at 400 °C were studied. The breakdown temperatures of the annealed Cu/barrier/Si structures were determined from the X-ray diffraction data, sheet resistance values, and etch-pit results.
The films were characterised with time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis, XRD, and standard four-point probe methods. The films deposited from tert-butylamine exhibited low impurity ...contents and resistivity, but at lower temperatures the addition of NH3 was necessary in order to achieve a reasonable deposition rate. When allylamine was used as the nitrogen source, the addition of NH3 was not so essential and good quality films were deposited also without NH3. However, more carbon and hydrogen impurities were incorporated, resulting most likely from a decomposition of allylamine. 20 refs.
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