Characteristics of high-crystallinity ZrO${}_2$ thin films deposited using remote plasma atomic layer deposition

ZrO${}_2$ deposition using the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process with a cyclopentadienyl tris(dimethylamino) zirconium (CpZr(NMe${}_2$)${}_3$) precursor is investigated. The effect of deposition temperature and plasma power on ZrO${}_2$ thin films' bonding and electrical properties is studied. CpZr(NMe${}_2$)${}_3$ is used for the deposition at 100 W and 200-400 °C and at 50-1000 W at 300 °C. When generating O${}_2$ plasma, Ar gas and O${}_2$ gas are used together to generate more radicals. It is found that CpZr(NMe${}_2$)${}_3$'s PEALD process window is 200-300 °C and the film's crystallinity is strongly influenced by deposition temperature and plasma power. In both process conditions, only the tetragonal phase changes. As a result, the ZrO${}_2$ film deposited at 50 W and 300 °C has the highest dielectric constant. This is due to the higher O radical ratio that corresponds to lower plasma power. A high O radical ratio causes a chemical reaction rather than an ion bombardment. (© 2022 Wiley‐VCH GmbH)