Remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of TiN thin films using metalorganic precursor

TiN films were deposited by remote plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) method using tetrakis-dimethyl-amino-titanium precursor and hydrogen, hydrogen/nitrogen mixture, and nitrogen plasmas. Remote PEALD method showed a relatively wide temperature window compared to that of conventional ALD process due to the increased reactivity of reactant gas. TiN films showed significantly lower impurity contents than those of the films deposited by other methods such as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, and conventional ALD using the same precursor. TiN films deposited using N-2 plasma showed better characteristics than the films deposited using H-2 and H-2/N-2 mixture plasmas. TiN films deposited by remote PEALD at 250 degreesC showed the resistivity value as low as about 300 muOmega cm and exhibited excellent conformal step coverage on 0.25-mum-wide and 2.5-mum-deep contact hole structure. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.