Described herein are precursors and methods for forming silicon-containing films. In one aspect, there is provided a precursor of Formula I: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 is selected from linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 alkyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 alkenyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 alkynyl group, C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 dialkylamino group, electron withdrawing group, and C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 aryl group; R.sup.2 is selected from hydrogen, linear or branched C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.6 alkenyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.6 alkynyl group, C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 dialkylamino group, C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 aryl group, linear or branched C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 fluorinated alkyl group, electron withdrawing group, and C.sub.4 to C.sub.10 aryl group; optionally wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are linked together to form ring selected from substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring or substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic ring; and n=1 or 2.

A method for manufacturing an interconnect structure includes providing a metal interconnect layer, forming a dielectric layer on the metal interconnect layer, forming a fluorocarbon layer on the dielectric layer, forming a patterned hardmask layer on the fluorocarbon layer, etching the fluorocarbon layer and the dielectric layer using the patterned hardmask layer as a mask to form a trench in the dielectric layer and a through-hole through the dielectric layer to the metal interconnect layer, forming a metal layer filling the trench and the through-hole, and planarizing the metal layer until the planarized metal layer has an upper surface that is flush with an upper surface of the fluorocarbon layer. The interconnect structure thus formed has an improved reliability.

Described herein are precursors and methods for forming silicon-containing films. In one aspect, there is provided a precursor of Formula I: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 is selected from linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 alkyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 alkenyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.10 alkynyl group, C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 dialkylamino group, electron withdrawing group, and C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 aryl group; R.sup.2 is selected from hydrogen, linear or branched C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 alkyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.6 alkenyl group, linear or branched C.sub.3 to C.sub.6 alkynyl group, C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 dialkylamino group, C.sub.6 to C.sub.10 aryl group, linear or branched C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 fluorinated alkyl group, electron withdrawing group, and C.sub.4 to C.sub.10 aryl group; optionally wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are linked together to form ring selected from substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring or substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic ring; and n=1 or 2.

Disclosed herein is a method for preparing ultrafine titanium carbonitride powder under a relatively low temperature condition that obviates a grinding process. This method includes the steps of: a mixing step for contacting titanium dioxide (TiO2), calcium (Ca) and carbon (C) under an inert atmosphere, a synthesis step for reacting the resultant mixture by heating at a temperature of about 600-1500 C. or lower under a nitrogen atmosphere; and a washing step for removing calcium oxide by washing this mixture.

The present invention is directed to compositions comprising at least one layer or at least two layers, each layer comprising a substantially two-dimensional array of crystal cells, having first and second surfaces, each crystal cell having the empirical formula of M.sub.n+1X.sub.n, where M, X, and n are described in the specification, and devices incorporating these compositions.

A hard alloy includes complex carbonitride hard phases that contain Ti and at least one additional element, and a metal binder phase containing an iron group element as a main component element. The complex carbonitride hard phases include homogeneous composition hard phases where in-complex carbonitride hard phase average concentrations of Ti and the additional element have a difference of greater than or equal to 5 atom % and less than or equal to 5 atom % from average concentrations of Ti and the additional element in all the complex carbonitride hard phases. On any cross section specified in the hard alloy, a cross-sectional area of the homogeneous composition hard phases accounts for greater than or equal to 80% of a cross-sectional area of the complex carbonitride hard phases, and the homogeneous composition hard phases account for greater than or equal to 80% of the complex carbonitride hard phases in number.

Hydridosilapyrroles and hydridosilaazapyrrole are a new class of heterocyclic compounds having a silicon bound to carbon and nitrogen atoms within the ring system and one or two hydrogen atoms on the silicon atom. The compounds have formula (I):

##STR00001##

in which R is a substituted or unsubstituted organic group and R is an alkyl group. These compounds react with a variety of organic and inorganic hydroxyl groups by a ring-opening reaction and may be used to produce silicon nitride or silicon carbonitride films.

Hydridosilapyrroles and hydridosilaazapyrrole are a new class of heterocyclic compounds having a silicon bound to carbon and nitrogen atoms within the ring system and one or two hydrogen atoms on the silicon atom. The compounds have formula (I):

##STR00001##

in which R is a substituted or unsubstituted organic group and R is an alkyl group. These compounds react with a variety of organic and inorganic hydroxyl groups by a ring-opening reaction and may be used to produce silicon nitride or silicon carbonitride films.

A problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a production method of a nitrogen-containing carbon alloy that has sufficiently high redox activity or has a large number of reaction electrons of redox reaction. A method for producing a nitrogen-containing carbon alloy comprising baking a precursor containing a nitrogen-containing organic compound and an inorganic metal salt containing one or more kinds of Fe, Co, Ni, Mn and Cr, wherein: the precursor satisfies one of the requirements (a) and (b) below, and, the nitrogen-containing organic compound is one of a compound represented by the formula (1) below, a tautomer of the compound, and a salt and hydrate thereof: (a) the precursor contains the inorganic metal salt in an amount exceeding 45% by mass based on the total amount of the nitrogen-containing organic compound and the inorganic metal salt of the precursor, in which the total amount includes the mass of hydrated water in the nitrogen-containing organic compound and the inorganic metal salt, and the amount of the inorganic metal salt includes the mass of hydrated water in the inorganic metal, (b) the precursor further contains a -diketone metal complex: ##STR00001##

Provided is a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process for depositing etch-resistant SiOCN films. These films provide improved growth rate, improved step coverage and excellent etch resistance to wet etchants and post-deposition plasma treatments containing O.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 co-reactants. This PEALD process relies on one or more precursors reacting in tandem with the plasma exposure to deposit the etch-resistant thin-films of SiOCN. The films display excellent resistance to wet etching with dilute aqueous HF solutions, both after deposition and after post-deposition plasma treatment(s). Accordingly, these films are expected to display excellent stability towards post-deposition fabrication steps utilized during device manufacturing and build.