Tantalum carbonitride thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition using the metallorganic precursor tert-butylimido tris (diethylamido) tantalum and hydrogen/argon direct plasma with 600 W radio frequency power. Within the atomic layer deposition temperature window, which ranges from below 200 to
260°C
, films grow with
∼0.35Å/cycle
. At a substrate temperature of
250°C
, the process yields
Ta2CN
films with an oxygen impurity content of below 5 atom %. These films have a cubic nanocrystalline structure, a high density of
13–14g/cm3
, as well as an excellent low resistivity of
160μΩcm
. Furthermore, the films show copper diffusion barrier performance comparable to stoichiometric physical vapor deposition TaN and a feasible wetting on multiwall carbon nanotubes. The interface between the tantalum carbonitride film and the silicon substrate was investigated using analytical electron microscopy and shows nitrogen and carbon agglomeration.