Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-5nwft Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-07T06:14:19.657Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Reactivity of Thin Titanium Films Towards Aluminum and the N-O-N Insulator Stack, and its Effects on the Composition and Properties of Voltage Programmable Links*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

Edward F. Gleason ,
Simon S. Cohen  and
Peter W. Wyatit
Edward F. Gleason
Affiliation:
Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Lexington, MA. 02173
Simon S. Cohen
Affiliation:
Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Lexington, MA. 02173
Peter W. Wyatit
Affiliation:
Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Lexington, MA. 02173
Get access

Abstract

A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) voltage programmable link (VPL) has been fabricated that relies on the breakdown of a thin nitride - oxide - nitride (N-O-N) plasma deposited insulator stack. The metal electrodes were prepared by depositing a titanium layer (400 Å) on top (or bottom) of 7500 Å Al ( 1% Si). The resulting metallization resists hillock formation during thermal anneal steps and thus preserves the integrity of the thin link dielectric. The breakdown voltage is typically 10 volts for a 100 Å-150 A-100 Å NON stack. Sintering at temperatures up to 425°C results in a negligible increase in breakdown voltage. After sinter at 455°C, the breakdown voltage drops to 6 volts and continues to decrease with further sintering. Auger depth profiles of the as-deposited sample indicate the N-O-N stack is intact and the titanium has also not reacted with the aluminum film. After sinter at 455°C no distinct interfaces are observed in the auger depth profile. Angle-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) of the nitride film after deposition and sinter indicate that the nitride film reacts with the titanium to form titanium nitride or titanium silicide. Angle resolved measurements indicate the titanium concentration has increased by a factor of 5 throughout the film as compared to the as-deposited sample. These results explain the observed drop in breakdown voltage since the insulator is being consumed and being converted into conducting titanium nitride or titanium silicide.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 311: Symposium O – Phase Transformations in Thin Films–Thermodynamics and Kinetics , 1993 , 45
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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.)

Footnotes

*

This work was sponsored by the Department Of The Air Force.

References

REFERENCES

1. Hamdy, E. et al. , IEDM Tech. Dig., (1988).Google Scholar
2. Gamal, A.B. et al. IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits SC24, 394 (1989).Google Scholar
3. Liu, D.K.Y. et al. , IEEE Elec. Dev. Letts. EDL12, 151 (1991).Google Scholar
4. Cohen, S.S., Gleason, E.F., Wyatt, P.W., and Raffel, J.J, submitted to Electron Device LettersGoogle Scholar
5. Gardner, D.S., Meindl, J.D. and Saraswat, K.C., IEEE Trans. Elec. Dev. ED-34, 633 (1987).Google Scholar
6. Chopra, D.R., Chourasia, A.R., Dillingham, T.R., and Peterson, K L., Gnade, B., J. Vac. Sci.Technol. A, 5, 1984 (1987).Google Scholar
7. Beyers, R., Sinclair, R., and Thomas, M.E., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B2, 781 (1984).Google Scholar
8. Ranquist, L. et al. , J. Phys. Chem. Solids. 30, 1835 (1976).Google Scholar
9. Kaufherr, W. and Lichtman, D., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 3, 1969 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar