title: Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Silicon Nitride Using a Novel Silylamine Precursor.
abstract: We report the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) of silicon nitride thin film using a silylamine compound as the silicon precursor. A series of silylamine compounds were designed by replacing SiH3 groups in trisilylamine by dimethylaminomethylsilyl or trimethylsilyl groups to obtain sufficient thermal stability. The silylamine compounds were synthesized through redistribution, amino-substitution, lithiation, and silylation reactions. Among them, bis(dimethylaminomethylsilyl)trimethylsilyl amine (C9H29N3Si3, DTDN2-H2) was selected as the silicon precursor because of the lowest bond dissociation energy and sufficient vapor pressures. The energies for adsorption and reaction of DTDN2-H2 with the silicon nitride surface were also calculated by density functional theory. PEALD silicon nitride thin films were prepared using DTDN2-H2 and N2 plasma. The PEALD process window was between 250 and 400 °C with a growth rate of 0.36 Å/cycle. The best film quality was obtained at 400 °C with a RF power of 100 W. The PEALD film prepared showed good bottom and sidewall coverages of ∼80% and ∼73%, respectively, on a trench-patterned wafer with an aspect ratio of 5.5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering, Sejong University , 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: DNF Co. Ltd. , 142 Daehwa-ro 132 beon-gil, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon 34366, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Se Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering, Sejong University , 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Luchana L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Yusup
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering, Sejong University , 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: DNF Co. Ltd. , 142 Daehwa-ro 132 beon-gil, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon 34366, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Ick
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: N2 plasma; bis(dimethylaminomethylsilyl)trimethylsilyl amine (DTDN2-H2); density functional theory; plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD); silicon nitride; silicon precursor