G Q Yu et al 2003 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 1355 doi:10.1088/0022-3727/36/11/317
G Q Yu1,3, B K Tay1, S P Lau1, K Prasad1 and J X Gao2
Show affiliationsTantalum (Ta) diffusion barrier films were deposited on un-patterned and patterned silicon substrates at ambient temperature and without substrate bias by filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA). The films were characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, four-point resistivity probe and surface profilometer. It was found that the Ta film was 750 Å thick and free of C and O except for surface contamination. The film morphology was smooth and uniform with root-mean-square roughness of ~0.82 Å. The Ta film was polycrystalline β phase with a mean grain size of ~3 nm and possessed a dense microstructure, which are ascribed to the high energy of the condensing species in FCVA. It was shown that the Ta filling of the trenches (0.33 μm wide, 1 : 1 aspect ratio) was very conformal and quite uniform. Also, it was preliminarily found that at the Ta film was effective against diffusion of Cu into Si at 600°C.
68.37.Ps Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
68.55.-a Thin film structure and morphology
68.35.B- Structure of clean surfaces (and surface reconstruction)
68.37.Xy Scanning Auger microscopy, photoelectron microscopy
68.37.Hk Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (including EBIC)
Issue 11 (7 June 2003)
Received 17 March 2003
Published 14 May 2003
G Q Yu et al 2003 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 1355
Jürgen Blum et al 1999 Meas. Sci. Technol. 10 836
M V Berry 1996 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 29 6617
E Kanoulas et al 2007 Phys. Med. Biol. 52 5443
Jonathan P. Williams and Philip C. Myers 1999 ApJ 518 L37
G. Durand et al 2004 Europhys. Lett. 67 1038
Mallory S. E. Roberts et al. 2003 ApJ 588 992
J. E. Dickens et al. 2000 ApJ 542 870
Simon Davis 2001 Class. Quantum Grav. 18 3395
E. B. Christopoulou et al. 2003 ApJ 591 416