Issue 1, 2015

Atomic layer deposition of ruthenium at 100 °C using the RuO4-precursor and H2

Abstract

In this paper we report a low temperature (100 °C) ALD process for Ru using the RuO4-precursor (ToRuS™) and H2 as the reactant. The thermal decomposition behaviour of the precursor in the range of 50 °C–250 °C was investigated and it was found that thermal decomposition of RuO4 to RuO2 starts at a sample temperature of 125 °C. The RuO4/H2 process (0.0045 mbar/4 mbar) was attempted at temperatures below this decomposition limit and it was found that ALD growth of pure Ru is possible in a narrow temperature window near 100 °C. The growth rate during steady state growth was found to be 0.1 nm per cycle. The Ru film nucleated easily on a wide range of substrates (H-terminated Si, TiN, Pt and Al2O3). Although the films are grown at a low temperature, they are considerably pure and are of good quality as evidenced by a resistivity of 18 μΩ cm for an 18 nm film and a relative atomic concentration of impurities <5% as determined by XPS. It is hypothesized that the reaction of the RuO4 molecule with the Ru-surface leading to a monolayer of RuO2 is the mechanism that ensures a self-saturated behaviour of the first half reaction, which is a critical requirement to achieve a well-behaved ALD process.

Graphical abstract: Atomic layer deposition of ruthenium at 100 °C using the RuO4-precursor and H2

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Sep 2014
Accepted
24 Oct 2014
First published
24 Oct 2014

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2015,3, 132-137

Author version available

Atomic layer deposition of ruthenium at 100 °C using the RuO4-precursor and H2

M. M. Minjauw, J. Dendooven, B. Capon, M. Schaekers and C. Detavernier, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2015, 3, 132 DOI: 10.1039/C4TC01961J

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