Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T05:47:28.428Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Adhesion Quantification of Post-CMP Copper to Amorphous SiN Passivation by NanoIndentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

J. B. Vella
Affiliation:
Motorola DigitalDNA™ Labs, Process and Materials Characterization Lab, Mesa, AZ
S. M. Smith
Affiliation:
Motorola Labs, Physical Sciences and Research Lab, Tempe, AZ
A. A. Volinsky
Affiliation:
Motorola DigitalDNA™ Labs, Process and Materials Characterization Lab, Mesa, AZ
I. S. Adhihetty
Affiliation:
Motorola DigitalDNA™ Labs, Process and Materials Characterization Lab, Mesa, AZ
Get access

Abstract

In this study, film interfacial fracture is induced by nanoindentation to quantify the practical work of adhesion of a post-CMP copper film to an amorphous silicon nitride passivation film. Poor adhesion of electrodeposited copper to SiN passivation is observed following CMP due to copper oxide growth prior to plasma enhanced silicon nitride deposition. Four point bend testing has shown that failure by brittle fracture of test structures occurs at the Cu/CuO interface. Hydrogen, ammonia, and nitrogen plasma treatments of the post-CMP copper surface can be used to remove the oxide, shown by auger electron spectroscopy, and to increase the surface roughness of copper, shown by atomic force microscopy. Both effects can be used to improve the Cu/SiN adhesion. Nanoindentation with a conical indenter (1.59 μm tip radius) was used to induce SiN film delaminations from Cu, the sizes of which were measured and correlated with the practical work of adhesion.[1,2] In order to more reliably and repeatably produce these delaminations a TiW (10wt% Ti) superlayer was sputter deposited on to the test structures.[2,3] Mechanical properties, including elastic modulus and hardness of SiN, electrodeposited copper, and TiW measured by nanoindentation are also reported here.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Marshall, D. B., Evans, A.G., J. Appl. Phys., 56(10), 26322638, 1984.Google Scholar
2. Kriese, M. D., Gerberich, W.W., Moody, N. R., J. Mater. Res., 14(7), 30073018, 1998.Google Scholar
3. Volinsky, A. A., Tymiak, N. I., Kriese, M. D., Gerberich, W. W. and Hutchinson, J.W., Mater. Res. Soc. Proc., 539, pp. 277290, 1999.Google Scholar
4. Noguchi, J. et al. , IEEE, 38th Annual International Reliability Physics Symposium, San Jose, CA, 2000, 339343.Google Scholar
5. Raghavan, G., Chiang, C., Anders, P. B., Tzeng, S, Villasol, R., Bai, G., Bohr, M., and Fraser, D.B., Thin Solid Films, 262, 168 (1995).Google Scholar
6. Mikazaki, H., Hinode, K., Homma, Y., and Kobayashi, N., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.,35, 1685 (1996).Google Scholar
7. Falkenstein, Z., Hakovirta, M., and Nastasi, M., Thin Solid Films, 381, 84, (2001).Google Scholar
8. Stoney, G. G., Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. A82 (1909) p. 72.Google Scholar