Current-induced surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films
Abstract
Thin film surface roughness is responsible for various materials reliability problems in microelectronics and nanofabrication technologies, which requires the development of surface roughness reduction strategies. Toward this end, we report modeling results that establish the electrical surface treatment of conducting thin films as a physical processing strategy for surface roughness reduction. We develop a continuum model of surface morphological evolution that accounts for the residual stress in the film, surface diffusional anisotropy and film texture, film’s wetting of the layer that is deposited on, and surface electromigration. Supported by linear stability theory, self-consistent dynamical simulations based on the model demonstrate that the action over several hours of a sufficiently strong and properly directed electric field on a conducting thin film can reduce its surface roughness and lead to a smooth planar film surface. In conclusion, the modeling predictions are in agreement with experimental measurements on copper thin films deposited on silicon nitride layers.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1466009
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1349360
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-07ER46407
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Applied Physics Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 110; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Citation Formats
Du, Lin, and Maroudas, Dimitrios. Current-induced surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4977024.
Du, Lin, & Maroudas, Dimitrios. Current-induced surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4977024
Du, Lin, and Maroudas, Dimitrios. Mon .
"Current-induced surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4977024. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1466009.
@article{osti_1466009,
title = {Current-induced surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films},
author = {Du, Lin and Maroudas, Dimitrios},
abstractNote = {Thin film surface roughness is responsible for various materials reliability problems in microelectronics and nanofabrication technologies, which requires the development of surface roughness reduction strategies. Toward this end, we report modeling results that establish the electrical surface treatment of conducting thin films as a physical processing strategy for surface roughness reduction. We develop a continuum model of surface morphological evolution that accounts for the residual stress in the film, surface diffusional anisotropy and film texture, film’s wetting of the layer that is deposited on, and surface electromigration. Supported by linear stability theory, self-consistent dynamical simulations based on the model demonstrate that the action over several hours of a sufficiently strong and properly directed electric field on a conducting thin film can reduce its surface roughness and lead to a smooth planar film surface. In conclusion, the modeling predictions are in agreement with experimental measurements on copper thin films deposited on silicon nitride layers.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4977024},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
number = 10,
volume = 110,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Mon Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Optimization of electrical treatment strategy for surface roughness reduction in conducting thin films
journal, September 2018
- Du, Lin; Maroudas, Dimitrios
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 124, Issue 12
Design of semiconductor surface pits for fabrication of regular arrays of quantum dots and nanorings
journal, January 2019
- Kumar, Ashish; Chen, Chao-Shou; Maroudas, Dimitrios
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 125, Issue 4