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Evaluation of electroless deposited Co(W,P) thin films as diffusion barriers for copper metallization

✍ Scribed by A. Kohn; M. Eizenberg; Y. Shacham-Diamand; B. Israel; Y. Sverdlov


Publisher
Elsevier Science
Year
2001
Tongue
English
Weight
231 KB
Volume
55
Category
Article
ISSN
0167-9317

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✦ Synopsis


Electroless deposited Co(W,P) thin films were evaluated as diffusion barriers for copper metallization. Capacitance versus time measurements of MOS structures as well as SIMS depth profiles indicate that 30-nm-thick films can function as effective barriers against copper diffusion after thermal treatments up to 5008C. The improved barrier properties relative to sputtered cobalt are explained by the incorporation of phosphorus (8-10 at.%) and tungsten ( | 2 at.%) which most probably enrich the grain boundaries of the nanocrystalline hcp cobalt grains, forming a 'stuffed' barrier. The phosphorus and tungsten additions stabilize the hcp crystalline structure of the cobalt grains, delaying the transition to the fcc phase by more than 808C compared to bulk pure cobalt. An advantage of this material compared to alternative diffusion barriers for copper is its relatively low resistivity of 80 mV cm.