Microstructural evolution of Al-Cu thin-film conducting lines during post-pattern annealing
- Center for Advanced Materials, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
This work reports a statistical analysis of the evolution of polygranular segment lengths during high-temperature annealing of Al(Cu) thin-film interconnects with quasi-bamboo microstructures. To create samples of Al(Cu) lines that could be imaged by transmission electron microscopy without breaking or thinning, the lines were deposited on electron-transparent silicon nitride films (the {open_quotes}silicon nitride window{close_quotes} technique). The microstructures of the lines were studied as a function of annealing time and temperature. In particular, the distribution of polygranular segment lengths was measured. The results show that the longer polyglranular segments are preferentially eliminated during post-pattern annealing. As a consequence, the segment-length distribution narrows monotonically during annealing, and changes in shape. The preferential loss of the longest polygranular segments leads to a dramatic increase in resistance to electromigration failure.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 530036
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 82, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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