Depth profile analysis of aluminium metallization in microelectronics: Optimization of depth resolution

✍ Scribed by W. Pamler; K. Wangemann

• Book ID: 104592844
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 754 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0142-2421
• DOI: 10.1002/sia.740180109

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Depth profiling of aluminium metallization in microelectronics devices by Auger or SIMS analysis is impeded by the severe sputter‐induced roughening which causes a serious loss in depth resolution. This paper discusses strategies to avoid this deteriorating effect: optimization of the bombardment angle, sample rotation during sputtering and the use of heavy or reactive ions. The best depth resolutions were achieved by sputtering with normal incidence 15 keV O~2~^+^ ions. In this case, an interface width of 12 nm was measured for a film of 1 μm thickness. This is an improvement by more than a factor of 10 compared to the extremely poor depth resolution of 160 nm resulting from routine analysis parameters (Ar^+^ ions incident at 55°).