Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T06:47:13.086Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Influence of Strain Energy Minimization on Abnormal Grain Growth in Copper Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

E. M. Zielinski
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
R. P. Vinci
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
J. C. Bravman
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
Get access

Abstract

Sputtered Cu films on Si, Al and Cu substrates were thermally cycled to 300 °C at a rate of 6 °/min, which induced an applied thermal strain that was compressive, tensile and zero, respectively. Microstructural characterization of the annealed films revealed abnormal (100) grain growth in the films on Al and Si, but not Cu substrates. In addition, symmetric x-ray diffraction scans demonstrated that the films in which abnormal grain growth was observed were primarily (100) in orientation. In contrast, the Cu film on a Cu substrate was largely randomly oriented after cycling, with a small degree of (111) preferred orientation. These results are consistent with a strain energy driving force for abnormal grain growth, which predicts that the growth should occur in compression, as on the Si substrate, or in tension, as on the Al substrate, but not when there is no applied thermal strain, as on the Cu substrate.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Pai, P.-L. and Ting, C.H., VMIC Conf. Proc., 6, 258 (1989).Google Scholar
2 Tao, J., Cheung, N.W. and Hu, C., IEEE El. Dev. Lett., 14, 249 (1993).Google Scholar
3 Rodbell, K.P., Colgan, E.G. and Hu, C.-K., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 337, (1994).Google Scholar
4 Tracy, B.W., Davies, P.W., Fanger, D. and Gartman, P., in Microstructural Science for Thin Film Metallizations in Electronics Applications, edited by Sanchez, J., Smith, D. A. and DeLanerolle, N. (The Metallurgical Society, Warrendale, PA, 1988), p. 157.Google Scholar
5 Nucci, J., Neves, H., Shacham, Y., Eisenbraun, E., Zheng, B. and Kaloyeros, A., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 309, 377 (1993).Google Scholar
6 Tracy, D.P., Knorr, D.B. and Rodbell, K.P., J. Appl. Phys., 76, 2671 (1994).Google Scholar
7 Gupta, J., Harper, J.M.E., Mauer, I., L, J.., Blauner, P.G. and Smith, D.A., Appl. Phys. Lett., 61, 663 (1992).Google Scholar
8 Knorr, D.B., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 309, 75 (1993).Google Scholar
9 Tracy, D.P. and Knorr, D.B., J. Elect. Mat., 22, 611 (1993).Google Scholar
10 Zielinski, E.M., Vinci, R.P. and Bravman, J.C., J. Appl. Phys., 76, 4516 (1994).Google Scholar
11 Ohmi, T., Saito, T., Otsuki, M., Shibata, T. and Nitta, T., J. Electrochem. Soc., 138, 1089 (1991).Google Scholar
12 Harper, J.M.E., Gupta, J., Smith, D.A., Chang, J.W., Holloway, K.L., Cabral, C., Tracy, D.P. and Knorr, D.B., Appl. Phys. Lett., 65, 177 (1994).Google Scholar
13 Longworth, H.P. and Thompson, C.V., J. Appl. Phys., 69, 3929 (1991).Google Scholar
14 Gangulee, A. and D'Heurle, F.M., Thin Sol. Films, 12, 399 (1972).Google Scholar
15 Cho, J. and Thompson, C.V., J. Elect. Mat., 19, 1207 (1990).Google Scholar
16 Thompson, C.V., Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci., 20, 245 (1990).Google Scholar
17 Thompson, C.V. and Smith, H.I., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 57, 499 (1987).Google Scholar
18 Thompson, C.V., Acta metall., 36, 2929 (1988).Google Scholar
19 Thompson, C.V., Floro, J. and Smith, H.I., J. Appl. Phys., 67, 4099 (1990).Google Scholar
20 Sanchez, J.E. Jr. and Arzt, E., Script. Met. et Mat., 27, 285 (1992).Google Scholar
21 Thompson, C.V., Script. Met. et Mat., 28, 167 (1993).Google Scholar
22 Nix, W.D., Met. Trans. A, 20A, 2217 (1989).Google Scholar
23 Zielinski, E.M., PhD thesis, Stanford University, 1995.Google Scholar
24 Zielinski, E.M., Vinci, R.P. and Bravman, J.C., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., 356, in press (1994).Google Scholar
25 in CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, edited by Lide, D.R. (Chemical Rubber Publishing Company, Boca Raton, 1990) p. 12 107.Google Scholar