Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-21T15:16:55.098Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Electromigration Behavior in Layered Ti/AlCu/Ti Films and its Dependence on Intermetallic Structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

K. P. Rodbell ,
P. W. DeHaven  and
J. D. Mis
K. P. Rodbell
Affiliation:
IBM Research Division, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
P. W. DeHaven
Affiliation:
IBM General Technology Division, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
J. D. Mis
Affiliation:
IBM General Technology Division, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
Get access

Abstract

A sputtered aluminum-low copper (Cu concentration < 2wt.%Cu), multilayered, submicron, device interconnect metallurgy consisting of two TiAl3 layers (∼,0.1μm thick) under and over an Al-Cu alloy conductor (0.95μm thick) with either an Al-Cu or TiN cap layer (0.05μm thick) has been developed. These films were patterned by reactive ion etching, and showed both a low susceptibility to corrosion and a low resistivity. Electromigration lifetime data on Al, Al-Cu, and both dc magnetron sputtered and electron gun evaporated multilayered fine lines, fabricated and tested in the same laboratory, are included for a direct comparison. Outstanding electromigration behavior was measured for sputtered, multilayered, submicron films with copper concentrations between 0.12 – 2wt.%Cu. In contrast, electromigration lifetimes of evaporated, multilayered films were found to degrade rapidly at < 2wt.%Cu. This anomalous electromigration behavior was attributed to structural differences in the Ti-Al intermetallics formed. It is proposed that defects present in the Ti-Al superlattice phase cause decreased electromigration performance compared to films in which TiAl3 exclusively forms. Multilevel structures, consisting of CVD W interlevel vias, were also investigated and found to have significantly degraded electromigration performance compared to planar samples. This was attributed to geometric and material flux divergences at the via/conductor interfaces.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 225: Symposium G – Materials Reliability Issues in Microelectronics , 1991 , 91
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

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

REFERENCES

1. Kwok, T. and Ho, P.S. in Diffusion Phenomena in Thin Films and Microelectronic Materials edited by Gupta, D. and Ho, P.S. (Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ 1988), p. 369.Google Scholar
2. Totta, P.A. and Sopher, R.P., IBM J. Res. Develop. 1969, 226.Google Scholar
3. Ames, I., d'Heurle, F.M. and Horstmann, R.E., IBM J. Res. Develop. 14, 461 (1970).Google Scholar
4. d'Heurle, F.M., Ainslie, N.G., Gangulee, A. and Shine, M.C., J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 9, 289 (1972).Google Scholar
5. Learn, A.J., J. Electron. Mater., 3, 531 (1974).Google Scholar
6. Howard, J.K. and Ho, P.S., U.S. Patent No. 4 017 890 (April 12, 1977).Google Scholar
7. Howard, J.K., White, J.F. and Ho, P.S., J. Appl. Phys., 49, 4083 (1978).Google Scholar
8. Gardner, D.S., Michalka, T.L., Saraswat, K.C., Barbee, T.W., McVittie, J.P. and Meindl, J.D., IEEE Electron Devices, ED–32, (1985).Google Scholar
9. Gardner, D.S., Saraswat, K., Barbee, T.W., U.S. Patent No. 4 673 623 (June 16, 1987).Google Scholar
10. Brouillard, A., Gniewek, J.J. and White, J.F., IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin 21, 2 (1978).Google Scholar
11. Ho, P.S. and Howard, J.K., IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin 21, 11 (1979).Google Scholar
12. Howard, J.K., IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin 21, 12 (1979).Google Scholar
13. Finetti, M., Ronkainen, H., Blomberg, M. and Suni, I, Mat. Res. Symp. Proc., 54, 811 (1986).Google Scholar
14. Wada, Y., J. Electrochem. Soc., 133, 1432 (1986).Google Scholar
15. Hariu, T., Watanabe, K., Inoue, M., Takada, T. and Tsuchikawa, H., Proc. of Inter. Rel. Phys. Symp., IEEE 1989, 210.Google Scholar
16. Kikkawa, T., Endo, N., Yamazaki, T. and Watanabe, H., Proc. of VLSI Multilevel Interconnection Conf., IEEE 1989, 463.Google Scholar
17. Hinode, K. and Homma, Y., Proc. of Inter. Rel. Phys. Symp., IEEE 1990, 25.Google Scholar
18. Lee, W.-Y. and Eldridge, J.M., J. Appl. Phys., 52, 2994 (1981).Google Scholar
19. Zahavi, J., Rotel, M., Huang, H.C.W. and Totta, P.A., Proc. of International Congress of Metallic Corrosion, Toronto, Canada 1984, 101.Google Scholar
20. Malehan, J., Vacuum 34, 437 (1984).Google Scholar
21. Rodbell, K.P., Tu, K.N., Lanford, W.A. and Guo, X.S., Phys. Rev. B, 43, 1422 (1991).Google Scholar
22. Vaidya, S. and Sinha, A.K., Thin Solid Films 75, 253 (1981).Google Scholar
23. lyer, S.S. and Ting, C.-Y., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, ED–31, 1469 (1984).Google Scholar
24. Cho, J. and Thompson, C.V., Appl. Phys. Lett., 54, 2577 (1990).Google Scholar
25. Kwok, T., Tan, C., Moy, D., Estabil, J.J., Rathore, H.S. and Basavaiah, S., Proc. of Int. VLSI Multilevel Interconnection Conf., IEEE 1990, p. 106.Google Scholar
26. Colgan, E.G., Materials Science Reports, 5, 1 (1990).Google Scholar
27. Howard, J.K., Lever, R.F., Smith, P.J. and Ho, P.S., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 13, 68 (1976).Google Scholar
28. Fujimura, N., Nishida, N., Ito, T. and Nakayama, Y., Materials Science and Engineering, A108, 153 (1989).Google Scholar
29. Ball, R.K. and Todd, A.G., Thin Solid Films, 149, 269 (1987).Google Scholar
30. van Loo, F.J.J. and Rieck, G.D., Acta Metallurgical, 21, 61 (1973).Google Scholar
31. Zhao, X.-A., So, F.C.T. and Nicolet, M.-A., J. Appl. Phys., 63, 2800 (1988).Google Scholar
32. Thuillard, M., Tran, L.T. and Nicolet, M.-A., Thin Solid Films, 166, 21 (1988).Google Scholar
33. Raman, A. and Schubert, K., Z. Metallkde., 56, 44 (1965).Google Scholar