Physical and chemical characterization of combinatorial metal gate electrode Ta-C-N library film

• Published in: Applied physics letters 2010-05, Vol.96 (19), p.192114-192114-3
• Main Authors: Chang, K.-S., Green, M. L., Levin, I., Hattrick-Simpers, J. R., Jaye, C., Fischer, D. A., Takeuchi, I., De Gendt, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.3428788

This paper reports comprehensive structural and chemical analyses for the combinatorial Ta - C - N / HfO 2 system, crucial data for understanding the electrical properties of Ta - C - N / HfO 2 . Combinatorial Ta-C-N "library" (composition spread) films were deposited by magnetron sputtering. Electron probe wavelength dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray fluorescence-yield near-edge spectroscopy were used to quantitatively determine the composition across these films. Scanning x-ray microdiffractometry determined that a solid solution of Ta ( C , N ) x forms and extends to compositions ( 0.3 ≤ Ta ≤ 0.5 and 0.57 ≤ Ta ≤ 0.67 ) that were previously unknown. The thermal stability of the Ta - C - N / HfO 2 library was studied using high resolution transmission electron microscopy, which shows Ta - C - N / HfO 2 / SiO 2 / Si exhibiting good thermal stability up to 950 ° C .