Cu film thermal stability on plasma cleaned polycrystalline Ru

Xin Liu; Chiyu Zhu; Brianna S. Eller; Tianyin Sun; Christopher J. Jezewski; Sean W. King; Robert Nemanich

doi:10.1116/1.4742906

Cu film thermal stability on plasma cleaned polycrystalline Ru

Xin Liu, Chiyu Zhu, Brianna S. Eller, Tianyin Sun, Christopher J. Jezewski, Sean W. King, Robert Nemanich

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The first part of this study examined oxide stability and cleaning of Ru surfaces. The surface reactions during H₂ plasma exposure of Ru polycrystalline films were studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ∼2 monolayer native Ru oxide was reduced after H-plasma processing. However, absorbed oxygen, presumably in the grain boundaries, remains after processing. A vacuum thermal anneal at 150 °C substantially removes both surface oxide and absorbed oxygen which is attributed to a reduction by carbon contamination. The second part of the study examined the thermal stability of Cu on a Ru layer. The thermal stability or islanding of the Cu film on the Ru substrate was characterized by in situ XPS. After plasma cleaning of the Ru adhesion layer, the deposited Cu exhibited full coverage. In contrast, for Cu deposition on the Ru native oxide substrate, Cu islanding was detected and was described in terms of grain boundary grooving and surface and interface energies. The oxygen in the grain boundary has a negligible contribution to the surface energy and does not contribute to Cu islanding.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	052203
Journal	Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics
Volume	30
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4742906
State	Published - Sep 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Instrumentation
Process Chemistry and Technology
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Materials Chemistry

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title = "Cu film thermal stability on plasma cleaned polycrystalline Ru",

abstract = "The first part of this study examined oxide stability and cleaning of Ru surfaces. The surface reactions during H2 plasma exposure of Ru polycrystalline films were studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ∼2 monolayer native Ru oxide was reduced after H-plasma processing. However, absorbed oxygen, presumably in the grain boundaries, remains after processing. A vacuum thermal anneal at 150 °C substantially removes both surface oxide and absorbed oxygen which is attributed to a reduction by carbon contamination. The second part of the study examined the thermal stability of Cu on a Ru layer. The thermal stability or islanding of the Cu film on the Ru substrate was characterized by in situ XPS. After plasma cleaning of the Ru adhesion layer, the deposited Cu exhibited full coverage. In contrast, for Cu deposition on the Ru native oxide substrate, Cu islanding was detected and was described in terms of grain boundary grooving and surface and interface energies. The oxygen in the grain boundary has a negligible contribution to the surface energy and does not contribute to Cu islanding.",

author = "Xin Liu and Chiyu Zhu and Eller, {Brianna S.} and Tianyin Sun and Jezewski, {Christopher J.} and King, {Sean W.} and Robert Nemanich",

note = "Funding Information: This research is supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation through Grant No. P11678.",

year = "2012",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1116/1.4742906",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "30",

journal = "Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics",

issn = "2166-2746",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Cu film thermal stability on plasma cleaned polycrystalline Ru

AU - Liu, Xin

AU - Zhu, Chiyu

AU - Eller, Brianna S.

AU - Sun, Tianyin

AU - Jezewski, Christopher J.

AU - King, Sean W.

AU - Nemanich, Robert

N1 - Funding Information: This research is supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation through Grant No. P11678.

PY - 2012/9

Y1 - 2012/9

N2 - The first part of this study examined oxide stability and cleaning of Ru surfaces. The surface reactions during H2 plasma exposure of Ru polycrystalline films were studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ∼2 monolayer native Ru oxide was reduced after H-plasma processing. However, absorbed oxygen, presumably in the grain boundaries, remains after processing. A vacuum thermal anneal at 150 °C substantially removes both surface oxide and absorbed oxygen which is attributed to a reduction by carbon contamination. The second part of the study examined the thermal stability of Cu on a Ru layer. The thermal stability or islanding of the Cu film on the Ru substrate was characterized by in situ XPS. After plasma cleaning of the Ru adhesion layer, the deposited Cu exhibited full coverage. In contrast, for Cu deposition on the Ru native oxide substrate, Cu islanding was detected and was described in terms of grain boundary grooving and surface and interface energies. The oxygen in the grain boundary has a negligible contribution to the surface energy and does not contribute to Cu islanding.

AB - The first part of this study examined oxide stability and cleaning of Ru surfaces. The surface reactions during H2 plasma exposure of Ru polycrystalline films were studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ∼2 monolayer native Ru oxide was reduced after H-plasma processing. However, absorbed oxygen, presumably in the grain boundaries, remains after processing. A vacuum thermal anneal at 150 °C substantially removes both surface oxide and absorbed oxygen which is attributed to a reduction by carbon contamination. The second part of the study examined the thermal stability of Cu on a Ru layer. The thermal stability or islanding of the Cu film on the Ru substrate was characterized by in situ XPS. After plasma cleaning of the Ru adhesion layer, the deposited Cu exhibited full coverage. In contrast, for Cu deposition on the Ru native oxide substrate, Cu islanding was detected and was described in terms of grain boundary grooving and surface and interface energies. The oxygen in the grain boundary has a negligible contribution to the surface energy and does not contribute to Cu islanding.

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DO - 10.1116/1.4742906

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JF - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics

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ER -

Cu film thermal stability on plasma cleaned polycrystalline Ru

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