Properties of conductive nitride films prepared by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition using quartz and sapphire plasma sources

The authors report on the properties of various conductive nitride (TiN, ZrN, and TaN) films prepared by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition using either quartz or sapphire inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources. Different reactive gases (N2, NH3, and H2) and various pressures during the plasma half-cycle were examined. The sapphire based ICP source enabled higher deposition rates, better crystallization, lower film resistivity, and lower oxygen contamination. The effect of the ICP source material depends strongly on the reactive gas species and pressure. Optimal deposition conditions for both ICP source materials are determined.