Equipment and methodology aspects of nano-thick film growth by consecutive gas pulsed chemical vapor deposition technique at low temperatures

Equipment and methodology aspects of precision nano-thick film growth by consecutive gas pulsed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique at low temperature are analyzed. The main parameters of repeatable pulsed CVD processes include the deposition chamber time constant, gas pulse shape and characteristics, cycle design and reactant pulse durations, substrate exposure characteristics, and substrate temperature repeatability. Results of presented systematic analysis have been used for successful development of optimized equipment parameters and repeatable consecutive pulsed thin film deposition methodology. Experimental verification has been performed for the case of pulsed ruthenium metal thin film deposition at low temperatures. The developed methodology has allowed exclusion of the interaction of reactant remnants in the gas phase, a reduction in film non-uniformity within 200 mm wafers, as well as an improvement in deposition kinetic analysis and atomic layer deposition window search, leading to enhanced experimental efficiency and reduced experimental cost.