Specification for dimensions of semiconductor devices and integrated electronic circuits

Thin films of aluminum or aluminum-silicon can be used in conjunction with thin films of chromium in integrated electronic circuits. For some applications, these films exhibit undesirable reactions; in particular, intermetallic formation below 500 C must be inhibited or prevented. The Al films, being the principal current carriers in interconnective metal applications, are usually much thicker than the Cr; so one might expect Al-rich intermetallics to form when the processing temperature goes out of control. Unfortunately, the JCPDS and the literature do not contain enough data on the Al-rich phases CrAl7 and Cr2Al11, and the determination of these data was a secondary aim of this work.To define a matrix of Cr-Al diffusion couples, Cr-Al films were deposited with two sets of variables: Al or Al-Si, and broken vacuum or single pumpdown. All films were deposited on 2-1/4-inch thermally oxidized Si substrates. A 500-Å layer of Cr was deposited at 120 Å/min on substrates at room temperature, in a vacuum system that had been pumped to 2 x 10-6 Torr. Then, with or without vacuum break, a 1000-Å layer of Al or Al-Si was deposited at 35 Å/s, with the substrates still at room temperature.

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Formation of defects in implanted hipox-structures

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100131668 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 1406-1407

Author(s):

Peter Pegler ◽

N. David Theodore ◽

Ming Pan

Keyword(s):

High Pressure ◽

Cross Section ◽

Semiconductor Devices ◽

Silicon Substrates ◽

Processing Conditions ◽

Pressure Oxidation ◽

Deep Trench ◽

Local Oxidation ◽

Trench Isolation ◽

And Behavior

High-pressure oxidation of silicon (HIPOX) is one of various techniques used for electrical-isolation of semiconductor-devices on silicon substrates. Other techniques have included local-oxidation of silicon (LOCOS), poly-buffered LOCOS, deep-trench isolation and separation of silicon by implanted oxygen (SIMOX). Reliable use of HIPOX for device-isolation requires an understanding of the behavior of the materials and structures being used and their interactions under different processing conditions. The effect of HIPOX-related stresses in the structures is of interest because structuraldefects, if formed, could electrically degrade devices.This investigation was performed to study the origin and behavior of defects in recessed HIPOX (RHIPOX) structures. The structures were exposed to a boron implant. Samples consisted of (i) RHlPOX'ed strip exposed to a boron implant, (ii) recessed strip prior to HIPOX, but exposed to a boron implant, (iii) test-pad prior to HIPOX, (iv) HIPOX'ed region away from R-HIPOX edge. Cross-section TEM specimens were prepared in the <110> substrate-geometry.

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Comparison of ultra high resolution immersion lens CFESEM and TEM for imaging of semiconductor devices

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100176241 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 622-623

Author(s):

Terrence Reilly ◽

Al Pelillo ◽

Barbara Miner

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Sample Preparation ◽

Cross Sections ◽

Semiconductor Devices ◽

Ion Milling ◽

Observation Area ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Milling Machines ◽

Resolution Imaging ◽

Electron Microscopes

The use of transmission electron microscopes (TEM) has proven to be very valuable in the observation of semiconductor devices. The need for high resolution imaging becomes more important as the devices become smaller and more complex. However, the sample preparation for TEM observation of semiconductor devices have generally proven to be complex and time consuming. The use of ion milling machines usually require a certain degree of expertise and allow a very limited viewing area. Recently, the use of an ultra high resolution "immersion lens" cold cathode field emission scanning electron microscope (CFESEM) has proven to be very useful in the observation of semiconductor devices. Particularly at low accelerating voltages where compositional contrast is increased. The Hitachi S-900 has provided comparable resolution to a 300kV TEM on semiconductor cross sections. Using the CFESEM to supplement work currently being done with high voltage TEMs provides many advantages: sample preparation time is greatly reduced and the observation area has also been increased to 7mm. The larger viewing area provides the operator a much greater area to search for a particular feature of interest. More samples can be imaged on the CFESEM, leaving the TEM for analyses requiring diffraction work and/or detecting the nature of the crystallinity.

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