Rapid thermal low-pressure chemical vapour deposition of tungsten films onto InP using WF6 and H2

Abstract

Tungsten (W) films were deposited onto InP in a cold wall, rapid thermal low-pressure chemical vapour deposition (RT-LPCVD) reactor, from a tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) gas reduced by hydrogen (H2). W films of thickness 50-450 nm were deposited in the temperature range 350-550 degrees C, pressure range 0.5-4.5 Torr at deposition rates up to 4 nm s-1 with an apparent activation energy of about 1.12 eV. The film stress varied depending upon the deposition pressure, from low compressive for deposition at 0.5 Torr to moderate tensile for deposition at about 4.5 Torr. The films were aged at temperatures as high as 300 degrees C for about 800 h and exhibited an excellent mechanical stability. Post-deposition sintering of the W films at temperatures up to 600 degrees C led to reduction of the resistivity with a minimum value of about 55 mu Omega cm as a result of heating at 500 degrees C. Conditions for both selective and blanket deposition were defined, and a dry etching process for further geometrical definitions of the films was developed, providing etch rates of 40-50 nm min-1. This report reflects the first attempt to deposit W films onto III-V semiconductor at a very high rate by means of RT-LPCVD.