Adhesion, Copper Voiding, and Debonding Kinetics of Copper/Dielectric Diffusion Barrier Films

Published

October 13, 2009

Author(s)

Ryan P. Birringer, Roey Shaviv, Thomas Mountsier, Jon Reid, Jian Zhou, Roy H. Geiss, David T. Read, Reinhold Dauskardt

Abstract

Effects of the chemistry of electroplated copper films on stress-induced voiding and adhesion between the films and a SiN barrier layer are reported. The void density as observed by scanning electron microscopy decreased markedly with increasing Cu purity. Measurements of interface fracture energy by the four-point-bend technique showed that the Cu/SiN adhesion improves with the purity of the Cu. For Cu with intermediate purity, both wet oxidizing environments and reducing environments reduced the adhesion. In tests conducted with electrical current flowing through the Cu layer, higher current densities were correlated with higher adhesion. It is expected that data from four-point-bend tests of interfacial adhesion of current-carrying Cu films will be valuable in understanding the mechanisms and kinetics of both stress-induced voiding and electromigration voiding in Cu films with adherent barrier layers.

Proceedings Title

Advanced Metallization Conference Proceedings 2009

Conference Dates

October 13-15, 2009

Conference Location

Baltimore, MD, US

Conference Title

Advanced Metallization Conference 2009

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

Adhesion, barrier, copper, damascene, debonding, silicon nitride, stress, void.

Citation

Birringer, R. , Shaviv, R. , Mountsier, T. , Reid, J. , Zhou, J. , Geiss, R. , Read, D. and Dauskardt, R. (2009), Adhesion, Copper Voiding, and Debonding Kinetics of Copper/Dielectric Diffusion Barrier Films, Advanced Metallization Conference Proceedings 2009, Baltimore, MD, US (Accessed October 9, 2025)