Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T04:06:18.841Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Room temperature grain growth in sputtered Cu films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2011

D. Deduytsche
Affiliation:
Department of solid state physics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
C. Detavernier
Affiliation:
Department of solid state physics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
J. Debaerdemaeker
Affiliation:
Department of nuclear physics, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Gent, Belgium
R.L. Van Meirhaeghe
Affiliation:
Department of solid state physics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
C. Dauwe
Affiliation:
Department of nuclear physics, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Gent, Belgium
T.S. Kuan
Affiliation:
University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY
Get access

Abstract

The results are presented of a study on grain growth in magnetron sputter deposited Cu films. Similarly to the well-known case of electroplated Cu, we observed significant changes in the microstructure of sputter deposited films during storage at room temperature, as evidenced by a decrease in sheet resistance (up to 40% decrease in less than 6 hours). Direct evidence for grain growth was observed by FIB and SEM and by a strong decrease in the XRD peak width. Moreover, a decrease in the total defect content of the film was observed as a function of storage time from positron annihilation experiments, probably reflecting the decreasing number of grain boundaries in the film. It is well known that the microstructure of an as-deposited film is strongly dependent on the deposition parameters. This relationship is summarized in the Thornton structure-growth zone diagram [7]. We have studied the kinetics of room temperature grain growth as a function of Ar pressure and substrate temperature for Cu films with a thickness between 50 nm and 1 micrometer. It is found that spontaneous grain growth during storage at room temperature occurs mainly for a zone T microstructure (at low Ar pressure and a substrate temperature below 40°C), while it does not occur for zone I (high Ar pressure, low substrate temperature) or zone II (substrate temperature > 100°C) microstructures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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. Harper, J.M.E., Cabral, C. Jr, Andricacos, P.C., Gignac, L., Noyan, I.C., Rodbell, K.P., Hu, C.K., J. Appl. Phys. 86(5) 2516 (1999)Google Scholar
2. Lingk, C. and Gross, M.E., J. Appl. Phys. 84 5547 (1998)Google Scholar
3. Lingk, C. and Gross, M.E., Appl. Phys. Lett. 74 681 (1999)Google Scholar
4. Brongersma, S.H., Richard, E., Vervoort, I., Bender, H., Vandervorst, W., Lagrange, S., Beyer, G., Maex, K., J. Appl. Phys. 86, 3642 (1999)Google Scholar
5. Hau Riege, S.P. and Thompson, C.V., Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 309 (2000)Google Scholar
6. Gross, M.E., Lingk, C., Brown, W.L., Drese, R., Solid state Techn. 47 (Aug 1999)Google Scholar
7. Thornton, J.A., J. Vac. Sc. Techn. 12(4) 830 (1975)Google Scholar
8. Thornton, J.A., J. Vac. Sc. Techn. A 4(6) 3059 (1986).Google Scholar
9. Craig, S., Harding, G.L., J. Vac. Sc. Techn. 19(2) 205 (1981)Google Scholar
10. Patten, J.W., McClanahan, E.D., Johnston, J.W., J. Appl. Phys. 42(11) (1971)Google Scholar
11. Harper, J.M.E., Rodbell, K.P., J. Vac. Sc. Technol. B 15, 763 (1997)Google Scholar