Interactions in and Interfacial Structure of Annealed Co / a-Si3N4 Studied by Hrtem

1992 ◽  
Vol 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tai D. Nguyen ◽  
Tue Nguyen ◽  
Herbert L. Ho ◽  
Ronald Gronsky

ABSTRACTInteractions between Co and a-Si3N4 films during Rapid Thermal Anneal (RTA) in N2 and Ar ambients, and during vacuum anneal, have been studied using plan-view and cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Annealing in the temperature range 600–1000°C reveals agglomeration of the 12.5 nm Co layer and partial exposure of the nitride layer to the surface. Morphological damage of the Co/Si3N4 interface, and diffusion of Co into the nitride layer and possibly to the Si substrate, were observed after high temperature anneals. Phases of Co and CoSi2 were identified from the plan-view electron diffaction patterns. The Co/Si3N4 interaction seems to occur at lower temperature when annealed in vacuum. The microstructures and morphology of the layers and interfaces are presented. The mechanism for the diffusion of Co into the nitride layer is proposed.

1995 ◽  
Vol 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Vantommela ◽  
Stefan Degroote ◽  
Johan Dekoster ◽  
Hugo Bender ◽  
Guido Langouche

AbstractEpitaxial CoSi2(100) layers in the thickness range of 20 to 50 nm have been formed by reactive deposition epitaxy (i.e. Co deposition onto a hot Si substrate) without the use of either a template or an intermediate Ti layer. It is explained how growth parameters such as the deposition rate and substrate temperature are crucial in determining the epitaxial nature of the silicide. According to this model, good CoSi2/Si(100) alignment is only achieved when very low deposition rates are used (0.1 Å/s or less), combined with relatively high substrate temperatures during deposition (∼ 600°C or higher). Using these conditions, highly strained, continuous CoSi2 layers with a channeling minimum yield of χmin = 9% could be formed. Using higher rates and/or lower deposition temperatures, an increasing fraction of misoriented CoSi2 grains is presumed from backscattering/channeling and x-ray experiments, the nature of which is under investigation with plan view and cross sectional transmission electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
N. Rozhanski ◽  
A. Barg

Amorphous Ni-Nb alloys are of potential interest as diffusion barriers for high temperature metallization for VLSI. In the present work amorphous Ni-Nb films were sputter deposited on Si(100) and their interaction with a substrate was studied in the temperature range (200-700)°C. The crystallization of films was observed on the plan-view specimens heated in-situ in Philips-400ST microscope. Cross-sectional objects were prepared to study the structure of interfaces.The crystallization temperature of Ni5 0 Ni5 0 and Ni8 0 Nb2 0 films was found to be equal to 675°C and 525°C correspondingly. The crystallization of Ni5 0 Ni5 0 films is followed by the formation of Ni6Nb7 and Ni3Nb nucleus. Ni8 0Nb2 0 films crystallise with the formation of Ni and Ni3Nb crystals. No interaction of both films with Si substrate was observed on plan-view specimens up to 700°C, that is due to the barrier action of the native SiO2 layer.


Author(s):  
Hyoung H. Kang ◽  
Michael A. Gribelyuk ◽  
Oliver D. Patterson ◽  
Steven B. Herschbein ◽  
Corey Senowitz

Abstract Cross-sectional style transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation techniques by DualBeam (SEM/FIB) systems are widely used in both laboratory and manufacturing lines with either in-situ or ex-situ lift out methods. By contrast, however, the plan view TEM sample has only been prepared in the laboratory environment, and only after breaking the wafer. This paper introduces a novel methodology for in-line, plan view TEM sample preparation at the 300mm wafer level that does not require breaking the wafer. It also presents the benefit of the technique on electrically short defects. The methodology of thin lamella TEM sample preparation for plan view work in two different tool configurations is also presented. The detailed procedure of thin lamella sample preparation is also described. In-line, full wafer plan view (S)TEM provides a quick turn around solution for defect analysis in the manufacturing line.


1994 ◽  
Vol 357 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Pedraza ◽  
Siqi Cao ◽  
L. F. Allard ◽  
D. H. Lowndes

AbstractA near-surface thin layer is melted when single crystal alumina (sapphire) is pulsed laserirradiated in an Ar-4%H2 atmosphere. γ-alumina grows epitaxially from the (0001) face of axalumina (sapphire) during the rapid solidification of this layer that occurs once the laser pulse is over. Cross sectional high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) reveals that the interface between unmelted sapphire and γ-alumina is atomistically flat with steps of one to a few close-packed oxygen layers; however, pronounced lattice distortions exist in the resolidified γ-alumina. HRTEM also is used to study the metal-ceramic interface of a copper film deposited on a laser-irradiated alumina substrate. The observed changes of the interfacial structure relative to that of unexposed substrates are correlated with the strong enhancement of film-substrate bonding promoted by laser irradiation. HRTEM shows that a thin amorphous film is produced after irradiation of 99.6% polycrystalline alumina. Formation of a diffuse interface and atomic rearrangements that can take place in metastable phases contribute to enhance the bonding strength of copper to laser-irradiated alumina.


1993 ◽  
Vol 311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Douglas G. Ivey

ABSTRACTSilicide formation through deposition of Ni onto hot Si substrates has been investigated. Ni was deposited onto <100> oriented Si wafers, which were heated up to 300°C, by e-beam evaporation under a vacuum of <2x10-6 Torr. The deposition rates were varied from 0.1 nm/s to 6 nm/s. The samples were then examined by both cross sectional and plan view transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and electron diffraction. The experimental results are discussed in terms of a new kinetic model.


2004 ◽  
Vol 843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songqing Wen ◽  
James Bentley ◽  
Jae-il Jang ◽  
G. M. Pharr

ABSTRACTNanoindentations were made on a (100) single crystal Si wafer at room temperature with a series of triangular pyramidal indenters having centerline-to-face angles ranging from 35° to 85°. Indentations produced at high (80 mN) and low (10 mN) loads were examined in plan-view by scanning electron microscopy and in cross-section by transmission electron microscopy. Microstructural observations were correlated with the indentation load-displacement behavior. Cracking and extrusion are more prevalent for sharp indenters with small centerline-to-face angles, regardless of the load. At low loads, the transformed material is amorphous silicon for all indenter angles. For Berkovich indentations made at high-load, the transformed material is a nanocrystalline mix of Si-I and Si-III/Si-XII, as confirmed by selected area diffraction. Extrusion of material at high loads for the cube-corner indenter reduces the volume of transformed material remaining underneath the indenter, thereby eliminating the pop-out in the unloading curve.


1992 ◽  
Vol 280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Ma ◽  
L. H. Allen

ABSTRACTSolid phase epitaxial (SPE) growth of SixGei1-x alloys on Si (100) was achieved by thermal annealing a-Ge/Au bilayers deposited on single crystal Si substrate in the temperature range of 280°C to 310°C. Growth dynamics was investigated using X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Upon annealing, Ge atoms migrate along the grain boundaries of polycrystalline Au and the epitaxial growth initiates at localized triple points between two Au grains and Si substrate, simultaneously incorporating a small amount of Si dissolved in Au. The Au is gradually displaced into the top Ge layer. Individual single crystal SixGei1-x islands then grow laterally as well as vertically. Finally, the islands coalesce to form a uniform layer of epitaxial SixGe1-x alloy on the Si substrate. The amount of Si incorporated in the final epitaxial film was found to be dependent upon the annealing temperature.


1992 ◽  
Vol 280 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Hashim ◽  
B. Park ◽  
H. A. Atwater

ABSTRACTEpitaxial Cu thin films have been grown on H-terminated Si(OOl) substrates at room temperature by D.C. ion-beam sputter deposition in ultrahigh vacuum. The development of orientation and microstructure during epitaxial growth from the initial stages of Cu growth up to Cu thicknesses of few hundred nm has been investigated. Analysis by in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction, thin film x-ray diffraction, and plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy indicates that the films are well textured with Cu(001)∥ Si(001) and Cu[100]∥ Si[110]. Interestingly, it is found that a distribution of orientations occurs at the early stages of Cu epitaxy on Si(001) surface, and that a (001) texture emerges gradually with increasing Cu thickness. The effect of silicide formation and deposition conditions on the crystalline quality of Cu epitaxy is also discussed.


1994 ◽  
Vol 332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olof C. Hellman

ABSTRACTReal space plan-view Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of the interfacial structure at the amorphous-Ge / Si (111) interface is presented. Ge is deposited at between room temperature and 150°C on either a 5×5 or 7×7 reconstructed surface. Conventional Plan-view TEM analysis reveals microstructural details such as surface steps, reconstruction phase shift boundaries and the reconstruction itself buried under the amorphous film, features which have previously been seen only as clean surfaces in UHV. Also imaged are small regions where Ge grows epitaxially on the Si surface above room temperature. These are seen to appear preferentially at steps and phase shift boundaries.


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