Metal Nitride Gate Electrode Resistivity Reduction via Halogen Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to develop a metal film for transistor gate electrodes with low electrical resistivity, as reducing the thickness of the metal film increases its electrical resistivity, necessitating a material with lower resistivity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a substrate processing apparatus that supplies a halogen-containing metal material and an inert gas, followed by a nitrogen-containing reactant gas at an increased flow rate, to form a metal nitride film with reduced halogen element incorporation, thereby lowering the electrical resistivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the thickness of the metal film is reduced, then the transistor size is reduced, but the electrical resistivity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the metal film by controlling the incorporation of halogen elements during deposition. By adjusting the halogen content through process parameters (such as using halogen-containing metal materials and controlling reactant gas flow rates), the electrical resistivity is reduced while maintaining thin film thickness, thus resolving the contradiction between miniaturization and electrical performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite metal nitride film structure with controlled halogen element incorporation. The film comprises metal elements combined with nitrogen, with deliberately controlled halogen content to optimize electrical properties. This composite approach allows achieving low resistivity in thin films by leveraging the specific properties of metal nitride compounds with adjusted compositional ratios
2Reliability
If the flow rate of inert gas during reactant gas supply is increased, then the halogen element incorporation is reduced, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the process parameters by varying the inert gas flow rate during different stages of film deposition. Specifically, increasing the inert gas flow rate during reactant gas supply stages controls the halogen element incorporation into the film. This parameter adjustment achieves the desired electrical resistivity without requiring fundamentally new process equipment or complex multi-step procedures, thus resolving the contradiction between performance improvement and process complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a metal film with significantly reduced electrical resistivity and improved deposition rate, effectively addressing the resistivity issues in thin metal films for transistor gate electrodes.
Implementation Method 1
supplying a halogen-containing metal material containing a metal element and a halogen element to a substrate while supplying an inert gas; and supplying a reactant gas containing a nitrogen element to the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A halogen element-containing metal material and a nitrogen-containing material are alternately supplied to a process chamber with a flow rate of an inert gas supplied to the process chamber together with the nitrogen-containing material during the supplying of the nitrogen-containing material to the process chamber being more increased than a flow rate of the inert gas supplied to the process chamber together with the metal material during the supplying of the metal material to the process chamber.