Evaluation of integrity and barrier performance of atomic layer deposited W N x C y films on plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited Si O 2 for Cu metallization

• Published in: Applied physics letters 2006-08, Vol.89 (8), p.081913-081913-3
• Main Authors: Kim, Ki-Su, Lee, Moon-Sang, Yim, Sung-Soo, Kim, Hyun-Mi, Kim, Ki-Bum, Park, Hyung-Sang, Koh, Wonyong, Li, Wei-Min, Stokhof, Maarten, Sprey, Hessel
• Format: Article
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.2338768

The nucleation and growth of W N x C y films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) Si O 2 is characterized as a function of the number of ALD cycles using transmission electron microscopy analysis. The island growth of isolated W N x C y nanocrystals is directly observed at the early stages of film growth. The nucleation of the W N x C y film can be significantly enhanced by N H 3 plasma treatment before the deposition of W N x C y . The capacitance-voltage measurements conducted after bias-temperature stressing reveals that an ALD- W N x C y film deposited with a thickness of approximately 5.2 nm on the N H 3 plasma-treated PECVD Si O 2 shows good diffusion barrier performance against Cu migration.