Investigation on the diffusion barrier properties of sputtered Mo/W-N thin films in Cu interconnects

Journal Article · Mon Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2800382· OSTI ID:21013719

Majumder, Prodyut; Takoudis, Christos G ^[1]

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1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607 (United States)

Mo/W-N bilayer thin film structures deposited on Si using sputtering have been studied as a copper diffusion barrier. The thermal stability of the barrier structure after annealing Cu/Mo/W-N/<Si> samples in N{sub 2} for 5 min is studied using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy, and four point probe measurements. The failure of the barrier structure is indicated by the abrupt increase in sheet resistance value and the formation of Cu{sub 3}Si phase as probed by XRD. Our results suggest that the Mo (5 nm)/W-N (5 nm) barrier is stable and can prevent the formation of Cu{sub 3}Si at least up to 775 deg. C.

• OSTI ID: 21013719
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 91; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANNEALING
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COPPER
DEPOSITION
DIFFUSION BARRIERS
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
MOLYBDENUM
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SPECTROSCOPY
SPUTTERING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
THIN FILMS
TUNGSTEN COMPOUNDS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION