Controlled growth of TaN, Ta3N5, and TaOxNy thin films by atomic layer deposition

TaN, Ta3N5, and TaOxNy films were deposited by the atomic layer deposition technique. The alternate surface reactions between TaCl5 and NH3 resulted i n Ta3N5, films, but when elemental zinc, serving as an additional reducing agent, was supplied on the substrates between the TaCl5 and NH3 pulses, TaN with a resistivity of 9 x 10(-4) Omega cm was-obtained. TaOxNy films were grown by depositing first thin Ta3N5 layers which were then partially oxidi zed by single water pulses. By varying the number of the Ta3N5 deposition c ycles between the water pulses, the oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio of the films w as controlled. The permittivity of the TaOxNy films was around 30 which is somewhat higher than that of Ta2O5.