Comparison of laser-initiated and thermal chemical vapor deposition of tungsten films

Abstract
ArF excimer laser radiation has been used to deposit W films on silicon and on SiO2 by initiating the gas phase reaction of WF6 with H2. Deposition rates >100 nm/min and film resistivities as low as two times the bulk value have been obtained at deposition temperatures of 440 °C. The properties of the laser-deposited films are compared with those of fims obtained using conventional thermal deposition techniques. Film resistivity correlates with the microstructure which in turn depends on the deposition temperature; above 350 °C the low-resistivity α-W phase dominates.