| Increasing demands on computer chip technology require exploration of novel materials and deposition techniques. The driving need to reduce device dimensions without increasing device delay time has forced a move towards copper interconnects. Copper interconnects require an encapsulating barrier layer to prevent diffusion into the dielectric layer, as well as a passivation layer to protect against oxidation. One potential material for the barrier layer is tungsten nitride (WNx). Tungsten nitride is expected to perform well as a barrier because of its refractory nature and excellent thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. In addition, it can be deposited in amorphous form. Amorphous materials have no grain boundaries, thereby making grain boundary diffusion, a fast path diffusion mechanism, impossible.; In this work, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was developed for the deposition of tungsten nitride. CVD was selected because it has the potential to deposit highly conformal film. High conformality is critical in a barrier layer in order to ensure viable coverage at the bottom and sides of device structures without sacrificing critical space that would be better used by the copper metal. In this manner, the total resistivity of the interconnect is minimized. The CVD WNx process was systematically optimized for film conformality, resistivity and growth rate. This was achieved by thoroughly examining film nucleation and growth characteristics, and analyzing resulting film properties.; Adhesion of copper to the CVD films was qualified using stud pull tests, while X-ray diffraction was implemented to determine crystallization temperature of the amorphous phase. Additionally, diffusion barrier properties of the CVD tungsten nitride were assessed using sputter deposited copper, and compared to those of sputter deposited tungsten nitride. Thermally activated barrier failure was studied as a function of barrier thickness using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and Secco etch studies to establish baseline metrics for copper diffusion into the barrier and silicon substrate. For this purpose, failure temperatures of CVD and sputtered tungsten nitride were compared and contrasted, and possible diffusion mechanisms were discussed. |
