Abstract
Tantalum (Ta) thin films of 35 nm thickness were investigated as diffusion barriers as well as adhesion-promoting layers between Cu and SiO2 using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After annealing at 600°C for 1h in vacuum, no evidence of interdiffusion was observed. However, XPS depth profiling indicates that elemental Si appears at the Ta/SiO2 interface after annealing. In-situ XPS studies show that the Ta/SiO2 interface was stable until 500°C, but about 32% of the interfacial SiO2 was reduced to elemental Si at 600°C. Upon cooling to room temperature, some elemental Si recombined to form SiO2 again, leaving only 6.5% elemental Si. Comparative studies on the interface chemical states of Cu/SiO2 and Ta/SiO2 indicate that the stability of the Cu/Ta/SiO2/Si system may be ascribed to the strong bonding of Ta and SiO2, due to the reduction of SiO2 through Ta oxide formation.
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Pan, J.S., Wee, A.T.S., Huan, C.H.A. et al. Study of Ta as a Diffusion Barrier in Cu/SiO2 Structure. MRS Online Proceedings Library 612, 9181 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-612-D9.18.1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-612-D9.18.1