Stress, Microstructure and Temperature Stability of Reactive Sputter Deposited Ta(N) Thin Films

1999 ◽  
Vol 594 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Leedy ◽  
M. J. O'Keefe ◽  
J. T. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Temperature Stability ◽  
Microstructural Characterization ◽  
Tantalum Nitride ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
Sputter Deposited ◽  
Temperature Exposure

AbstractInterest in tantalum nitride thin films for use as diffusion barriers in Cu-based microelectronic interconnects merits the study of tantalum nitride thin film properties as a function of deposition conditions and elevated temperature exposure. In this investigation, the influence of nitrogen content and post deposition annealing on the stress, microstructure and resistivity of Ta(N) films was analyzed. Ta(N) thin films were deposited by reactive dc magnetron sputtering of a Ta target in Ar/N2 gas mixtures. With an increasing N2 to Ar flow ratio, the as-deposited crystal structure of the films changed from ß-Ta to bcc Ta with N in solid solution to TaN0.1 to Ta2N and finally to TaN. The as-deposited Ta(N) stress, grain size and resistivity of the films were found to be strongly dependent on the phase(s) present. Films with less than 20 at. % nitrogen concentration displayed large compressive stress increases during 650°C anneals in flowing N2. Phase transformations to Ta2N occurred after 650°C anneals in films with nitrogen concentrations from ∼ 15 to 25 at. %. Microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction, and chemical analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy of the Ta(N) films were used to identify the as-deposited and transformed phases.

Nitridation of Hafnium Silicate Thin Films

2004 ◽  
Vol 811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hood Chatham ◽  
Yoshi Senzaki ◽  
Jeff Bailey ◽  
Wesley Nieveen
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Nitrogen Plasma ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Atomic Nitrogen ◽  
Hafnium Silicate ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
Nitridation Temperature

ABSTRACTWe discuss the nitridation of ALD-deposited hafnium silicate films by exposure to atomic nitrogen generated in a remote nitrogen plasma. Nitrogen concentration [N] as measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is determined as a function of the nitridation temperature and other process conditions. Nitrogen concentrations up to 13.7 atomic % were achieved.

Stress, Microstructure and Temperature Stability of Reactive Sputter Deposited WNx Thin Films

2000 ◽  
Vol 612 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Leedy ◽  
M. J. O'Keefe ◽  
J. G. Wilson ◽  
R. Osterday ◽  
J. T. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Nitrogen Content ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Temperature Stability ◽  
Tungsten Nitride ◽  
Film Properties ◽  
Sputter Deposited ◽  
Temperature Exposure ◽  
Low K ◽  
Post Deposition

AbstractTungsten nitride (WNx) thin films can be used as Schottky barriers in high power, high temperature semiconductor devices or as diffusion barriers between Cu, low-k dielectric and silicon because each application requires a thermally stable film. Therefore, it is important to understand the thin film properties of WNx as a function of deposition conditions and elevated temperature exposure. In this investigation, the influence of nitrogen content and post deposition annealing on the stress and microstructure of reactive dc magnetron sputter deposited WNx films was analyzed. With an increasing N2 to Ar flow ratio, the as-deposited crystal structure of the films changed from α-W to β-W to amorphous WNx and finally to W2N. Rapid thermal anneals up to 650°C resulted in large tensile stress increases and phase transformations to W2N in the nitrogen-containing films. Grain growth during annealing decreased as the concentration of nitrogen in the film increased. The nitrogen content in the films was determined using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Sputter Deposition and Thermally Induced Phase Transformation of Non-BCC Chromium Thin Films

1993 ◽  
Vol 311 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. O'Keefe ◽  
S. Horiuchi ◽  
J.J. Chu ◽  
J.J. Rigsbee
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Low Carbon Steel ◽  
Substrate Material ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Thermally Induced ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Sputter Deposited ◽  
Cr Film

ABSTRACTThe crystal structure of sputter deposited chromium thin films on Coming 7059 glass, polytetrafluoroethylene, and cold rolled (110) oriented low carbon steel α-Fe substrates was investigated as a function of O and C incorporation into the growing Cr film. The as-deposited crystal structure of the films was found by X-ray diffraction to be either highly oriented (110) BCC α-Cr or (200) oriented A-15 δ-Cr. Chemical analysis of the films by Auger electron spectroscopy determined that the δ-Cr phaseformed when the combined O and C impurity concentration in the film was ∼15-30 at.%. At total impurity concentrations above ∼30 at.% or below ∼10 at.% standard BCC α-Cr formed. The crystal structure of the films was not influenced by the substrate material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the Cr 2pl/2-2p3/2 orbitals indicated that the dominate binding state of both the BCC α-Cr and A-15 δ-Cr films was characteristic of elemental Cr. Vacuum annealing of the A-15 δ-Cr films at 500º for one hour transformed the crystal structure into BCC α-Cr without a measurable change in chemical composition. The incorporation of O and C into the growing Cr film is believed to impurity stabilize the A-15 structure and favor its formation over the BCC structure.

Pulsed laser deposition of carbon nitride thin films in nitrogen gas ambient

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3376-3379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masayuki Okoshi ◽  
Hiroshi Kumagai ◽  
Koichi Toyoda
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Carbon Nitride ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Laser Deposition ◽  
Graphite Target ◽  
Nitrogen Gas ◽  
Third Harmonic ◽  
X Ray ◽  
532 Nm

Carbon nitride thin films have been successfully deposited by ablating a graphite target (99.999%) in nitrogen gas ambient using the second (532 nm) or third (355 nm) harmonic of a Q-switched Nd : YAG laser. Carbon nitride films consisting of approximately 40% nitrogen were obtained at 7.5 × 10−3 Pa of nitrogen gas pressure using the third harmonic laser. The C–N chemical bond in the films was observed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Ellipsometric studies revealed that the refractive index of the fabricated films decreased with increasing nitrogen concentration.

TEM studies of solid-state reactions in sputter-deposited Nb/Al multilayer thin films

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 1020-1021
Author(s):  
F. Ma ◽  
S. Vivekanand ◽  
K. Barmak ◽  
C. Michaelsen
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Solid State ◽  
Stoichiometric Composition ◽  
Analytical Electron Microscopy ◽  
Grain Structure ◽  
Solid State Reactions ◽  
Multilayer Thin Films ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Sputter Deposited

Solid state reactions in sputter-deposited Nb/Al multilayer thin films have been studied by transmission and analytical electron microscopy (TEM/AEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Nb/Al multilayer thin films for TEM studies were sputter-deposited on (1102)sapphire substrates. The periodicity of the films is in the range 10-500 nm. The overall composition of the films are 1/3, 2/1, and 3/1 Nb/Al, corresponding to the stoichiometric composition of the three intermetallic phases in this system.Figure 1 is a TEM micrograph of an as-deposited film with periodicity A = dA1 + dNb = 72 nm, where d's are layer thicknesses. The polycrystalline nature of the Al and Nb layers with their columnar grain structure is evident in the figure. Both Nb and Al layers exhibit crystallographic texture, with the electron diffraction pattern for this film showing stronger diffraction spots in the direction normal to the multilayer. The X-ray diffraction patterns of all films are dominated by the Al(l 11) and Nb(l 10) peaks and show a merging of these two peaks with decreasing periodicity.

The Correlation of Adhesion Strength with Barrier Structure in Cu Metallization

2003 ◽  
Vol 766 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sekiguchi ◽  
J. Koike ◽  
K. Ueoka ◽  
J. Ye ◽  
H. Okamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Adhesion Strength ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Scratch Test ◽  
Barrier Structure ◽  
Barrier Layers ◽  
Cu Metallization ◽  
Microstructure Observation ◽  
Sputter Deposited ◽  
Sulfur Containing

AbstractAdhesion strength in sputter-deposited Cu thin films on various types of barrier layers was investigated by scratch test. The barrier layers were Ta1-xNx with varied nitrogen concentration of 0, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5. Microstructure observation by TEM indicated that each layer consists of mixed phases of β;-Ta, bcc-TaN0.1, hexagonal-TaN, and fcc-TaN, depending on the nitrogen concentration. A sulfur- containing amorphous phase was also present discontinuously at the Cu/barrier interfaces in all samples. Scratch test showed that delamination occurred at the Cu/barrier interface and that the overall adhesion strength increased with increasing the nitrogen concentration. A good correlation was found between the measured adhesion strength and the composing phases in the barrier layer.

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