Microstructural comparisons of ultrathin Cu films deposited by ion-beam and dc-magnetron sputtering

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1886275· OSTI ID:20713902

Prater, W L; Allen, E L; Lee, W -Y; Toney, M F; Kellock, A; Daniels, J S; Hedstrom, J A; Harrell, T ^[1]

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1. Chemical and Materials Engineering Department, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, California 95192 (United States)

We report and contrast both the electrical resistance and the microstructure of copper thin films deposited in an oxygen-containing atmosphere by ion-beam and dc-magnetron sputtering. For films with thicknesses of 5 nm or less, the resistivity of the Cu films is minimized at oxygen concentrations ranging from 0.2% to 1% for dc-magnetron sputtering and 6%-10% for ion-beam sputtering. Films sputtered under both conditions show a similar decrease of interface roughness with increasing oxygen concentration, although the magnetron-deposited films are smoother. The dc-magnetron-produced films have higher resistivity, have smaller Cu grains, and contain a higher concentration of cuprous oxide particles. We discuss the mechanisms leading to the grain refinement and the consequent reduced resistivity in both types of films.

• OSTI ID: 20713902
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 97; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COPPER
COPPER OXIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
GRAIN REFINEMENT
INTERFACES
ION BEAMS
MICROSTRUCTURE
OXYGEN
PARTICLES
ROUGHNESS
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS