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Room temperature grain growth in sputtered Cu films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2011

D. Deduytsche
Affiliation:
Department of solid state physics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
C. Detavernier
Affiliation:
Department of solid state physics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
J. Debaerdemaeker
Affiliation:
Department of nuclear physics, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Gent, Belgium
R.L. Van Meirhaeghe
Affiliation:
Department of solid state physics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S1, 9000 Gent, Belgium
C. Dauwe
Affiliation:
Department of nuclear physics, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, 9000 Gent, Belgium
T.S. Kuan
Affiliation:
University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY
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Abstract

The results are presented of a study on grain growth in magnetron sputter deposited Cu films. Similarly to the well-known case of electroplated Cu, we observed significant changes in the microstructure of sputter deposited films during storage at room temperature, as evidenced by a decrease in sheet resistance (up to 40% decrease in less than 6 hours). Direct evidence for grain growth was observed by FIB and SEM and by a strong decrease in the XRD peak width. Moreover, a decrease in the total defect content of the film was observed as a function of storage time from positron annihilation experiments, probably reflecting the decreasing number of grain boundaries in the film. It is well known that the microstructure of an as-deposited film is strongly dependent on the deposition parameters. This relationship is summarized in the Thornton structure-growth zone diagram [7]. We have studied the kinetics of room temperature grain growth as a function of Ar pressure and substrate temperature for Cu films with a thickness between 50 nm and 1 micrometer. It is found that spontaneous grain growth during storage at room temperature occurs mainly for a zone T microstructure (at low Ar pressure and a substrate temperature below 40°C), while it does not occur for zone I (high Ar pressure, low substrate temperature) or zone II (substrate temperature > 100°C) microstructures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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References

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