AVS 51st International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session PS-TuP

Paper PS-TuP16
Diagnostic Studies on a H@sub 2@-N@sub 2@ Inductively Coupled Plasma for Plasma-Assisted Atomic Layer Deposition

Tuesday, November 16, 2004, 4:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: S.B.S. Heil, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Authors: S.B.S. Heil, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
E. Langereis, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
R. Engeln, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
M.C.M. van de Sanden, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
W.M.M. Kessels, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Correspondent: Click to Email
A new reactor has been constructed for plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition (PA-ALD) of single-element metals and metal nitrides. Besides a vapor dosing system, the reactor consists of an inductively coupled plasma in which H, N, and NH@sub x@ radical species can be produced by operating the plasma on H@sub 2@, N@sub 2@, or NH@sub 3@ and mixtures of these gases. These radicals and possibly other activated neutrals can be used for abstraction of ligands from adsorbed metal halide precursor gases such that also non-binary materials can be deposited by ALD. We have investigated H@sub 2@ and N@sub 2@-H@sub 2@ plasmas by double Langmuir probe measurements and by optical emission spectroscopy. These measurements have been carried out for different plasma conditions and flow ratios while the OES data have been taken at different spatial positions. With OES we have observed the different atomic hydrogen lines as well as the H@sub 2@ Fulcher bands and the first and second positive systems of N@sub 2@. With the Langmuir probe measurements typical electron and ion densities of ~10@super 10@ cm@super -3@ and electron temperatures within the range of 2.5-3 eV have been obtained in the downstream region of the plasma. Currently, the first PA-ALD experiments of Ti and TiN films (e.g., for Cu diffusion barriers) are being carried out using the combination of TiCl@sub 4@ and H@sub 2@(-N@sub 2@) plasmas. The resulting film properties obtained under the different operating conditions will be compared with the results from the plasma studies.