Ultrahigh purity (UHP) reactor conditions provide a process environment for growth of nitride thin films with low oxygen content by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). In particular, UHP conditions correspond to partial pressures below 10⁻⁸ Torr for impurities within the PEALD process environment to limit incorporation before, during, and after film growth. In this article, we identify the various sources of background oxygen species and describe the measures taken to obtain UHP reactor conditions. For example, in situ ellipsometry results are presented that reveal the impact of oxygen incorporation on film resistivity during and after titanium nitride PEALD due to elevated levels of oxygen impurities in the argon process gas. A model is also developed that shows the significance of water permeation through elastomer vacuum seals. These examples demonstrate the importance of process gas purification and elimination of elastomer permeation toward achieving a UHP environment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profile data for titanium, aluminum, and silicon nitride by PEALD reveal bulk oxygen levels below 1 at. %, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of UHP reactor conditions at reducing oxygen incorporation. Consistent with XPS, depth profile secondary ion mass spectroscopy results for titanium nitride PEALD confirm bulk oxygen content less than 1 at. %, further establishing the effectiveness of a UHP background for high purity nitride film growth.

中文翻译：

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通过等离子体增强的原子层沉积获得的低氧含量氮化物的超高纯条件

超高纯度（UHP）反应器条件为通过等离子体增强原子层沉积（PEALD）生长具有低氧含量的氮化物薄膜提供了工艺环境。特别地，UHP条件对应于PEALD工艺环境中杂质的低于10 ^-8 Torr的分压，以限制在膜生长之前，期间和之后的掺入。在本文中，我们确定了背景氧物种的各种来源，并描述了为获得UHP反应器条件而采取的措施。例如，原位椭圆偏光法结果表明，由于氩气工艺气体中氧杂质的含量升高，在氮化钛PEALD期间和之后，氧掺入对膜电阻率的影响。还开发了一个模型，该模型显示了水通过弹性体真空密封件渗透的重要性。这些例子证明了工艺气体净化和消除弹性体渗透对于实现UHP环境的重要性。通过PEALD获得的钛，铝和氮化硅的X射线光电子能谱（XPS）深度剖面数据显示，总氧含量低于1 at。％，从而证明了UHP反应器条件在减少氧掺入方面的有效性。与XPS一致，氮化钛PEALD的深度剖面二次离子质谱分析结果证实，总氧含量小于1 at。％，进一步确立了UHP背景对于高纯度氮化物膜生长的有效性。