Konrad Hieber

Universal chemical vapour deposition system for metallurgical coatings

Abstract A versatile chemical vapour deposition system was constructed. The r.f.-heated reactor can operate in the cold-wall mode as well as the hot-wall mode. In addition quenching and annealing can be performed in the reactor immediately after the deposition process. The reactor is well suited for depositing various materials onto substrates of different geometrical shapes. This was demonstrated by coating the inner surfaces of hollow parts with tantalum, by coating molybdenum grids for power tubes with ZrC and by coating small steel springs with TiC/TiN.

Possible applications of tantalum silicide for very-large-scale integration technology

Abstract The possibility of depositing TaSi 2 by sputtering and chemical vapour deposition (selective and non-selective deposition) opens a wide variety of applications for this material in very-large-scale integration technology. The following examples are briefly discussed: (1) polycide gate metallization; (2) silicide gate metallization; (3) diffusion barrier properties; (4) source-drain silicidation; (5) planarization by contact hole filling.

A novel technique for in situ measurements of thin film properties

Abstract It is possible to measure the thickness dependence of resistivity during deposition on a moving substrate in all commercial sputtering systems by means of a small four-point probe resistance measurement arrangement (diameter, 100 mm; height, 5–10 mm) equipped with telemetric data transfer. Since the film properties are uniquely characterized by the thickness dependence of resistivity, for a high production yield of, for example, TaSi films the resistance—thickness relationship of a film whose properties fulfil all specifications must be reproduced by dynamic control of the deposition parameters. The influence of the plasma on the resistance measurements can be determined by using at least two different testing currents. The real film resistance and the current injected into the growing film can be calculated from the two values of resistance obtained. The injected current depends on the target power. It now appears to be possible to control the growth rate, the film thickness and the composition of metallic alloy films during deposition (co-sputtering).