Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition of cobalt nitride with cobalt amidinate

Cobalt nitride (Co3Nx) thin films were deposited via the technique of plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) at low temperatures down to 100 degrees C, using bis(N,N'-di-iso-propylacetamidinato) cobalt(II) [Co((ipr2)AMD)(2)] and NH3 plasma. Saturation curves demonstrate that the deposition processes follow the ideal self-limiting ALD fashion with a growth rate of 0.075 nm/cycle. The x in the nominal formula of Co3Nx is approximately 0.78, and the films are demonstrated polycrystalline with a hexagonal Co3N crystal structure. This process can deposit a pure, smooth, and highly conformal Co3Nx film in trenches with 20:1 aspect ratio, which can be extended to the deposition of other metal nitrides at low temperature. Published by the AVS.