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A Modified Damascene Electrodeposition Process for Bottom-up Filling of Recessed Surface Features

Published

Author(s)

Chang H. Lee, Thomas P. Moffat

Abstract

A modification of the conventional Damascene metallization process is described whereby selective removal of the thin wetting/seed layer from the sidewalls and free surfaces enables selective nucleation and bottom-up electrodeposition of metals and alloys in recessed surface features. The process is demonstrated by filling sub-micrometer trenches with electrodeposited Ni. A conventional PVD Cu seed layer is briefly etched to remove Cu from the sidewalls and free surface while leaving a continuous Cu wetting layer intact on the trench bottom. The underlying non-wetting barrier layer provides a conductive path for electrodeposition from contacts on the perimeter of the work piece. The robustness of the bottom-up Ni electrodeposition process is greatly increased by the addition of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) to the plating bath. The additive prevents spurious nucleation of Ni on residual Cu patches that may remain on the free surface.
Citation
Electrochimica ACTA

Keywords

Bottom-up filling, Damascene process, nickel, mercaptobenzimidazole, superconformal deposition

Citation

Lee, C. and Moffat, T. (2010), A Modified Damascene Electrodeposition Process for Bottom-up Filling of Recessed Surface Features, Electrochimica ACTA (Accessed October 2, 2025)

Issues

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Created July 23, 2010, Updated February 26, 2020
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