	US 11,885,013 B2
	Method of forming vanadium nitride layer and structure including the vanadium nitride layer
Giuseppe Alessio Verni, Ottignies (BE); Qi Xie, Wilsele (BE); Henri Jussila, Espoo (FI); Charles Dezelah, Helsinki (FI); Jiyeon Kim, Phoenix, AZ (US); Eric James Shero, Phoenix, AZ (US); and Paul Ma, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Assigned to ASM IP Holding B.V., Almere (NL)
Filed by ASM IP Holding B.V., Almere (NL)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/113,242.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/949,307, filed on Dec. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0180184 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. C23C 16/34 (2006.01); C23C 16/455 (2006.01); H01L 29/43 (2006.01); C23C 16/52 (2006.01)

CPC C23C 16/34 (2013.01) [C23C 16/45527 (2013.01); C23C 16/45544 (2013.01); C23C 16/45553 (2013.01); C23C 16/52 (2013.01); H01L 29/43 (2013.01)]

24 Claims

1. A method of forming a gate electrode structure, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor; and

using a cyclical deposition process, depositing a vanadium nitride layer onto a surface of the substrate,

wherein the cyclical deposition process comprises:

providing a vanadium halide precursor to the reaction chamber; and

providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber,

wherein the vanadium halide precursor or a derivative thereof and the nitrogen reactant or a species thereof react to form at least a portion of the vanadium nitride layer, and wherein a pressure within the reaction chamber during the cyclical deposition process is between 10 Torr and 760 Torr, and

wherein the vanadium nitride layer comprises oxygen.

13. A method of forming a structure comprising a vanadium nitride layer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor; and

using a thermal cyclical deposition process, depositing a layer comprising vanadium nitride onto a surface of the substrate,

wherein the thermal cyclical deposition process comprises:

providing a vanadium halide precursor to the reaction chamber; and

providing a nitrogen reactant to the reaction chamber,

wherein the vanadium halide precursor or a derivative thereof and the nitrogen reactant react to form at least a portion of the vanadium nitride layer, and wherein a pressure within the reaction chamber during the cyclical deposition process is between 10 Torr and 760 Torr, and

wherein the vanadium nitride layer comprises oxygen.

24. A system comprising:

one or more reaction chambers;

a precursor gas source comprising a vanadium oxyhalide precursor fluidly coupled to at least one of the one or more reaction chambers;

a nitrogen reactant gas source;

an exhaust source; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to control flow of the vanadium oxyhalide precursor from the precursor gas source into at least one of the one or more reaction chambers to form a vanadium nitride layer overlying a surface of a substrate using a thermal cyclical deposition process, wherein the thermal cyclical deposition process comprises continuously providing the vanadium halide precursor and periodically providing the nitrogen reactant, and wherein the controller is configured to control a pressure within at least one of the one or more reaction chambers during the thermal cyclical deposition process between 10 Torr and 760 Torr.