Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor structures and their fabrication, and more particularly to diffusion barrier structures containing Ti, Si, N and methods of forming same. A method of forming an electrically conductive diffusion barrier comprises providing a substrate in a reaction chamber and forming a titanium silicide (TiSi) region on the substrate by alternatingly exposing the substrate to a titanium-containing precursor and a first silicon-containing precursor. The method additionally comprises forming a titanium silicon nitride (TiSiN) region on the TiSi region by alternatingly exposing the substrate to a titanium-containing precursor, a nitrogen-containing precursor and a second silicon-containing precursor. The method can optionally include, prior to forming the TiSi region, forming a titanium nitride (TiN) region by alternatingly exposing the substrate to a titanium-containing precursor and a nitrogen-containing precursor.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to a barrier layer comprising titanium silicon nitride, and more particularly to a barrier layer for nonvolatile memory devices, and methods of forming the same. In one aspect, a method of forming an electrode for a phase change memory device comprises forming over a semiconductor substrate an electrode comprising titanium silicon nitride (TiSiN) on a phase change storage element configured to store a memory state. Forming the electrode comprises exposing a semiconductor substrate to one or more cyclical vapor deposition cycles, wherein a plurality of the cyclical vapor deposition cycles comprises an exposure to a Ti precursor, an exposure to a N precursor and an exposure to a Si precursor.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to forming a titanium nitride layer, and more particularly to forming by atomic layer deposition a titanium nitride layer on a seed layer. In one aspect, a semiconductor structure comprises a semiconductor substrate comprising a non-metallic surface. The semiconductor structure additionally comprises a seed layer comprising silicon (Si) and nitrogen (N) conformally coating the non-metallic surface and a TiN layer conformally coating the seed layer. Aspects are also directed to methods of forming the semiconductor structures.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to forming a thin film comprising titanium nitride (TiN), and more particularly to forming by a cyclical vapor deposition process the thin film comprising (TiN).

Abstract: The disclosed technology relates generally to semiconductor processing and more particularly to liquid precursor injection apparatus and methods for depositing thin films. A method of injecting a liquid precursor into a thin film deposition chamber comprises delivering a vaporized liquid precursor into the thin film deposition chamber by atomizing the liquid precursor into atomized precursor droplets using a liquid injection unit and vaporizing the atomized precursor droplets into the vaporized liquid precursor in a vaporization chamber.

Abstract: A method for ALD coating of a substrate with a layer containing Ti, Si, N, wherein a reaction gas and then a flushing gas are introduced into a process chamber holding the substrate in a plurality of successive steps, each in one or more cycles, wherein TiN is deposited in a first step with a reaction gas containing Ti and a reaction gas containing N, TiSi is deposited in a second step with a reaction gas containing Ti and a reaction gas containing Si, and in a third step following the second step, TiSiN is deposited with a reaction gas containing Ti, with a reaction gas containing N and with a reaction gas containing Si.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to forming a titanium nitride-based thin films, and more particularly to a conformal and smooth titanium nitride-based thin films and methods of forming the same. In one aspect, a method of forming a thin film comprising one or both of TiSiN or TiAlN comprises exposing a semiconductor substrate to one or more vapor deposition cycles at a pressure in a reaction chamber greater than 1 torr, wherein a plurality of the vapor deposition cycles comprises an exposure to a titanium (Ti) precursor, an exposure to a nitrogen (N) precursor and an exposure to one or both of a silicon (Si) precursor or an aluminum (Al) precursor.

Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to semiconductor processing and more particularly to placing a substrate in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment for processing, and to apparatuses for placing the substrate in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In one aspect, a method of calibrating a process position of a semiconductor substrate in a process chamber comprises securing a calibration substrate on a susceptor in a processing chamber under an open chamber condition using a securing device, wherein securing comprises preventing the substrate from sliding laterally on the susceptor by more than a predefined tolerance from a centered position relative to a susceptor center. The method additionally comprises subjecting the calibration substrate under a process condition different from the open chamber condition. The method additionally comprises transferring the calibration substrate from the susceptor using a robot arm.