Ruthenium Complex for Oxidation-Free Barrier Metal Deposition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing ruthenium-containing thin films face challenges, including deterioration of barrier performance and increased resistance due to oxidation, and require expensive equipment or reactive agents, limiting their practicality for next-generation semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
A ruthenium complex represented by specific formulae, which can be produced using a cationic tris(nitrile) complex and an enone derivative in the presence of a base, allowing for the deposition of ruthenium-containing thin films under both oxidizing and reducing gas conditions, thereby overcoming oxidation-related issues and reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an oxidizing gas is used during vapor deposition to produce metallic ruthenium, then the deposition process can proceed under standard conditions, but the underlying barrier metal (titanium nitride or tantalum nitride) becomes oxidized, causing deterioration of barrier performance and increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ruthenium complex compound as an intermediary material that enables deposition without oxidizing gases. This complex serves as a precursor that decomposes during CVD to form metallic ruthenium directly, eliminating the need for oxidizing gas environments that would otherwise be required for metal deposition, thereby protecting the barrier metal from oxidation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical state and composition parameters by using a specifically designed ruthenium complex compound with particular ligand structures. This parameter change allows the deposition process to occur through thermal decomposition rather than oxidation, fundamentally altering the chemical environment required for ruthenium film formation
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional vapor deposition methods are used to produce ruthenium-containing thin films, then deposition can be achieved, but expensive equipment or reactive agents are required, limiting practicality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a ruthenium complex compound that can be used in conventional CVD equipment without requiring specialized or expensive apparatus. The complex compound itself serves as a disposable precursor material that decomposes during the process, allowing standard equipment to achieve high-quality film deposition without the need for costly specialized deposition systems
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the precursor material parameters to use the specific ruthenium complex compound, the process can be conducted under milder and more conventional conditions compared to other metal deposition methods, reducing equipment requirements and operational costs while maintaining film quality
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
The novel ruthenium complex enables the production of high-quality ruthenium-containing thin films with improved barrier performance and reduced resistance, suitable for next-generation semiconductor devices, while offering a cost-effective and practical production method.
Implementation Method 1
use of a vapor deposition method based on a chemical reaction, such as atomic layer deposition method (ALD method) and chemical vapor deposition method (CVD method)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to provide a ruthenium complex represented by formula (1a), (2), (3), etc., which is useful for producing a ruthenium-containing thin film both under the conditions using an oxidizing gas as the reaction gas and under the conditions using a reducing gas as the reaction gas:wherein R1a to R7a, R8, R9 and R10 to R18 represents an alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 6, etc., and n represents an integer of 0 to 2.