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The Effects of Collimator Life Time on the Ti and Tin Film Growth Rates and Conformalities in Sputter Deposition Processes: Experiments and Simulations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Hung Liao
Affiliation:
Center for Solid State Electronics Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
Hannes Stippel
Affiliation:
National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA 95052
Krishna Reddy
Affiliation:
National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA 95052
Sam Geha
Affiliation:
National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA 95052
Kevin Brown
Affiliation:
National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA 95052
Philipp Lindorfer
Affiliation:
National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA 95052
Samar Saha
Affiliation:
National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, CA 95052
Zhou Lin
Affiliation:
Center for Solid State Electronics Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
Timothy Cale
Affiliation:
Center for Solid State Electronics Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
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Abstract

Experimental and simulation studies were conducted in an attempt to understand the effects of collimator life time on the Ti and TiN film growth rates and conformalities in sputter deposition processes. The Ti and TiN films were deposited with and without collimation. The hexagonal cells of the collimator used in this study have a 1:1 aspect ratio. A Monte Carlo based simulator was used to calculate the angular distributions of species exiting from a collimator cell and the percentage decrease in the rate of film growth as a function of the collimator life time. Then, a low pressure deposition process simulator, EVOLVE, was used to predict the conformalities of deposited films in contacts or vias, assuming that the films were uniformly deposited on the side-walls of collimator cells. We conclude that the loss in growth rate is largely due to the shrinkage in the cross sectional area of the collimator cell inlets. We arrive at this conclusion after comparing an estimated film thickness on the collimator side-walls with experimental measurements. With extended collimator usage, the predicted and experimental film profiles in contacts or vias show increasing bottom coverage and decreasing side-wall coverages.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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