CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION OF ULTRATHIN TA2O5 FILMS USING TA[N(CH3)(2)](5)

Tantalum oxide films were deposited on Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition using the precursor Ta[N(CH3)(2)](5), and an oxidizing age nt-O-2, H2O, or NO. Temperatures ranged between 400 and 500 degrees C and total pressures between 10(-3) and 9 Torr. NO did not lead to sati sfactory film growth rates. Insignificant (<1 at. %) N and up to a few percent C are incorporated when O-2 is the oxidant and the total pres sure is in the Torr regime. In the milliTorr regime, the Ta2O5 films, grown using either O-2 Or H2O, contain readily detectable amounts of C and N. For the films grown with O-2 in the Torr regime, leakage curre nts were significantly lowered when the flow rate of O-2 increased fro m 100 to 900 seem. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951 (98)00410-0].