Deposition of TiN using tetrakis(dimethylamido)‐titanium in an electron‐cyclotron‐resonance plasma process

High‐quality TiN layers were deposited in an electron‐cyclotron‐resonance (ECR) plasma process at substrate temperatures between 350 and 600 °C. Tetrakis(dimethylamido)‐titanium [Ti(NMe2)4] was used as precursor and introduced into the downstream region of an ECR nitrogen plasma. The electrical properties of the gold‐colored TiN layers (45–100 μΩ cm) depend on the deposition rate, the substrate temperature, the microwave (MW) power, and the plasma gas composition. TiN with a resistivity of 45 μΩ cm could be obtained at a substrate temperature of 600 °C and a MW power of 400 W. The measured resistivities are so far the best reported values obtained by using a metalorganic precursor for TiN deposition. The deposits were characterized by resistivity measurements and electron probe microanalysis for chemical analysis. The morphology and step coverage was checked by atomic force and scanning electron microscopy.