Tantalum oxide films were deposited on Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition using the precursor Ta[N(CH3)2]5, and an oxidizing agent—O2, H2O, or NO. Temperatures ranged between 400 and 500 °C and total pressures between 10−3 and 9 Torr. NO did not lead to satisfactory film growth rates. Insignificant (<1 at. %) N and up to a few percent C are incorporated when O2 is the oxidant and the total pressure is in the Torr regime. In the milliTorr regime, the Ta2O5 films, grown using either O2 or H2O, contain readily detectable amounts of C and N. For the films grown with O2 in the Torr regime, leakage currents were significantly lowered when the flow rate of O2 increased from 100 to 900 sccm.
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