Open AccessEnhanced interfacial reaction of precursor and low temperature substrate in HfO2 atomic layer deposition with highly Ar diluted O2 plasma
Author(s) -
Takayuki Kitajima,
Hidemichi Minowa,
T. Nakano
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of physics communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.407
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2399-6528
DOI - 10.1088/2399-6528/abb4b6
Subject(s) - analytical chemistry (journal) , atomic layer deposition , oxygen , sputtering , materials science , chemistry , layer (electronics) , thin film , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , chromatography
The internal energy of metastable oxygen atoms in highly Ar diluted oxygen plasma was utilized in the initial stage of the atomic layer deposition of HfO 2 on SiO 2 /Si(100) at low temperature of 150 °C. The highly Ar dilute oxygen plasma enhanced the oxidation of the incomplete chemisorption state of the precursor at low temperature, successfully formed Hf silicate interface, and decreased the impurity nitrogen atoms in the HfO 2 film compared to the pure oxygen plasma ALD. Residual nitrogen atoms in the film were found to cause excessive precursor adsorption. The results of plasma emission spectroscopy and ion saturation current measurements show that the highly Ar-diluted O 2 plasma can increase the O radical formation rate for ion fluxes at pressures above 100 Pa. The relatively high metastable oxygen atom irradiation is thought to be responsible for the removal of HfN bonds and enable ALD on low temperature substrates. Atomic force microscopy showed that the root mean square roughness in the high Ar dilution sample was 0.093 nm, indicating high flatness.