Impact of Low-Temperature Anneals of Electroplated Copper Films on Copper CMP Removal Rates

1999 ◽  
Vol 566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Smekalin ◽  
Qing-Tang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Room Temperature ◽  
Rate Increase ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Inert Gas ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Film Hardness ◽  
Cu Film ◽  
Electroplated Copper ◽  
Over Time

CMP removal rate (RR) of electrodeposited Cu film was found to increase by 35% over time after plating. The RR increase was attributed to Cu film hardness reduction of 43% and grain growth from the initial 0.1urn at as-deposit to lum at the final stage at room temperature. The removal rate increase will translate to variations in manufacturing environment and are therefore unacceptable. It was found that annealing at ∼100C for 5 minutes in inert gas will stabilize Cu films and provide consistent CMP removal rate.

Barrier Effect on Electroplated Cu Films

1999 ◽  
Vol 564 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Faust ◽  
Q. Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Room Temperature ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Barrier Effect ◽  
Barrier Material ◽  
Dramatic Effect ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Barrier Materials ◽  
Electroplated Copper

AbstractThe effect of various barrier materials on the microstructure of electroplated Copper films was investigated. Analysis of the Cu was performed at the as-deposited, room temperature stabilized, and annealed states. It shows that the barrier material can have a dramatic effect on the properties of electroplated Cu.

Stress development and relaxation in copper films during thermal cycling

1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 1845-1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.D. Thouless ◽  
J. Gupta ◽  
J.M.E. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Temperature Hysteresis ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Dislocation Glide ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Cu Film ◽  
Relaxation Of Stresses ◽  
Power Law Creep

The reliability of integrated-circuit wiring depends strongly on the development and relaxation of stresses that promote void and hillock formation. In this paper an analysis based on existing models of creep is presented that predicts the stresses developed in thin blanket films of copper on Si wafers subjected to thermal cycling. The results are portrayed on deformation-mechanism maps that identify the dominant mechanisms expected to operate during thermal cycling. These predictions are compared with temperature-ramped and isothermal stress measurements for a 1 μm-thick sputtered Cu film in the temperature range 25–450 °C. The models successfully predict both the rate of stress relaxation when the film is held at a constant temperature and the stress-temperature hysteresis generated during thermal cycling. For 1 μm-thick Cu films cycled in the temperature range 25–450 °C, the deformation maps indicate that grain-boundary diffusion controls the stress relief at higher temperatures (>300 °C) when only a low stress can be sustained in the films, power-law creep is important at intermediate temperatures and determines the maximum compressive stress, and that if yield by dislocation glide (low-temperature plasticity) occurs, it will do so only at the lowest temperatures (<100 °C). This last mechanism did not appear to be operating in the film studied for this project.

In-Situ Tem Investigation During Thermal Cycling of thin Copper Films

1996 ◽  
Vol 436 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.-M. Keller ◽  
W. Sigle ◽  
S. P. Baker ◽  
O. Kraft ◽  
E. Arzt
Keyword(s):  
Grain Growth ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Dislocation Motion ◽  
In Situ Tem ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Stress Evolution ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractIn-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to study grain growth and dislocation motion during temperature cycles of Cu films with and without a cap layer. In addition, the substrate curvature method was employed to determine the corresponding stresstemperature curves from room temperature up to 600°C. The results of the in-situ TEM investigations provide insight into the microstructural evolution which occurs during the stress measurements. Grain growth occurred continuously throughout the first heating cycle in both cases. The evolution of dislocation structure observed in TEM supports an explanation of the stress evolution in both capped and uncapped films in terms of dislocation effects.

Room Temperature Self-Annealing of Electroplated and Sputtered Copper Films

1999 ◽  
Vol 562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Chen ◽  
Suraj Rengarajan ◽  
Peter Hey ◽  
Yezdi Dordi ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Copper Film ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Organic Additives ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Electroplated Copper ◽  
Effect Of Copper

ABSTRACTSelf-annealing properties of electroplated and sputtered copper films at room temperature were investigated in this study, in particular, the effect of copper film thickness, electrolyte systems used, as well as their level of organic additives for electroplating. Real-time grain growth was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Sheet resistance and X-ray diffraction measurements further confirmed the recrystallization of the electroplated copper film with time. The recrystallization of electroplated films was then compared with that of sputtered copper films.

Room Temperature Self-Annealing of Electroplated and Sputtered Copper Films

1999 ◽  
Vol 564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Chen ◽  
Suraj Rengarajan ◽  
Peter Hey ◽  
Yezdi Dordi ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Copper Film ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Organic Additives ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Electroplated Copper ◽  
Effect Of Copper

AbstractSelf-annealing properties of electroplated and sputtered copper films at room temperature were investigated in this study, in particular, the effect of copper film thickness, electrolyte systems used, as well as their level of organic additives for electroplating. Real-time grain growth was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Sheet resistance and X-ray diffraction measurements further confirmed the recrystallization of the electroplated copper film with time. The recrystallization of electroplated films was then compared with that of sputtered copper films.

Fatigue Properties of Nanometer-Scale Copper Films

2007 ◽  
Vol 353-358 ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Zhang ◽  
K.H. Sun ◽  
Jun Gong ◽  
Chao Sun ◽  
Zhong Guang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Fatigue Cracking ◽  
Constant Load ◽  
Fatigue Tests ◽  
Fatigue Properties ◽  
Nanometer Scale ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Load Range ◽  
Cu Films

Fatigue tests of nanometer-thick Cu films as deposited and annealed in vacuum were conducted under constant load ranges at room temperature. Fatigue strengths of the Cu films, which is defined as the critical load range being able to cause crack initiation within 106 cycles, are determined. The experimental results show that fatigue strength increases with decreasing film thickness. Fatigue cracking behaviors were characterized by electron microscope. It is also found that fatigue cracking resistance is dependent on film thickness and increases with decreasing film thickness. Size effects on fatigue properties of the nanometer-thick Cu films are discussed.

scholarly journals Nanoindentation of Au and Pt/Cu thin films at elevated temperatures

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 2650-2657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex A. Volinsky ◽  
Neville R. Moody ◽  
William W. Gerberich
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Yield Stress ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Nanocrystalline Structure ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Interfacial Toughness ◽  
Film Hardness ◽  
Cu Film ◽  
Sputter Deposited

This paper describes the nanoindentation technique for measuring sputter-deposited Au and Cu thin films’ mechanical properties at elevated temperatures up to 130 °C. A thin, 5-nm Pt layer was deposited onto the Cu film to prevent its oxidation during testing. Nanoindentation was then used to measure elastic modulus and hardness as a function of temperature. These tests showed that elastic modulus and hardness decreased as the test temperature increased from 20 to 130 °C. Cu films exhibited higher hardness values compared to Au, a finding that is explained by the nanocrystalline structure of the film. Hardness was converted to the yield stress using both the Tabor relationship and the inverse method (based on the Johnson cavity model). The thermal component of the yield-stress dependence followed a second-order polynomial in the temperature range tested for Au and Pt/Cu films. The decrease in yield stress at elevated temperatures accounts for the increased interfacial toughness of Cu thin films.

A quantitative analysis of room temperature recrystallization kinetics in electroplated copper films using high resolution x-ray diffraction

2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 014907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Ying ◽  
Christian Witt ◽  
Jean Jordan-Sweet ◽  
Robert Rosenberg ◽  
I. C. Noyan
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Recrystallization Kinetics ◽  
Electroplated Copper

scholarly journals Residual Stress and Microstructure of Electroplated Cu Film on Different Barrier Layers

2001 ◽  
Vol 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex A. Volinsky ◽  
Meike Hauschildt ◽  
Joseph B. Vella ◽  
N.V. Edwards ◽  
Rich Gregory ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Residual Stress ◽  
High Vacuum ◽  
Temperature Cycling ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Stress Distributions ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Barrier Layers ◽  
Cu Film ◽  
Processing Step ◽  
Stress Mapping

ABSTRACTCopper films of different thicknesses between 0.2 and 2 microns were electroplated on adhesion-promoting TiW and Ta barrier layers on <100> single crystal 6-inch silicon wafers. The residual stress was measured after each processing step using a wafer curvature technique employing Stoney's equation. Large gradients in the stress distributions were found across each wafer. Controlled Cu grain growth was achieved by annealing films at 350 C for 3 minutes in high vacuum. Annealing increased the average tensile residual stress by about 200 MPa for all the films, which is in agreement with stress-temperature cycling measurements.After aging for 1 year wafer stress mapping showed that the stress gradients in the copper films were alleviated. No stress discrepancies between the copper on Ta and TiW barrier layers could be found. However, X-ray pole figure analysis showed broad and shifted (111) texture in films on a TiW underlayer, whereas the (111) texture in Cu films on Ta is sharp and centered.

Effect of passivation on stress relaxation in electroplated copper films

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1512-1518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongwen Gan ◽  
Paul S. Ho ◽  
Yaoyu Pang ◽  
Rui Huang ◽  
Jihperng Leu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Relaxation ◽  
Interfacial Adhesion ◽  
Boundary Diffusion ◽  
Isothermal Condition ◽  
Copper Films ◽  
Relaxation Rates ◽  
Cu Films ◽  
Electroplated Copper ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Kinetics Of

The present study investigated the effect of passivation on the kinetics of interfacial mass transport by measuring stress relaxation in electroplated Cu films with four different cap layers: SiN, SiC, SiCN, and a Co metal cap. Stress curves measured under thermal cycling showed different behaviors for the unpassivated and passivated Cu films, but were essentially indifferent for the films passivated with different cap layers. On the other hand, stress relaxation measured under an isothermal condition revealed clearly the effect of passivation, indicating that interface diffusion controls the kinetics of stress relaxation. The relaxation rates in the passivated Cu films were found to decrease in the order of SiC, SiCN, SiN, and metal caps. This correlates well with previous studies on the relationship between interfacial adhesion and electromigration. A kinetic model based on coupling of interface and grain-boundary diffusion was used to deduce the interface diffusivities and the corresponding activation energies.

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