AVS 50th International Symposium
    Electrochemistry and Fluid Solid Interfaces Tuesday Sessions
       Session EC+SS-TuM

Paper EC+SS-TuM2
In Situ Characterization of Nucleation and Growth During Electrochemical Deposition of Copper

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 8:40 am, Room 326

Session: Water at Interfaces I: Structure and Electrochemistry
Presenter: A. Radisic, Johns Hopkins University
Authors: A. Radisic, Johns Hopkins University
M.J. Williamson, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, current address Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
M.C. Reuter, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
S.J. Chey, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
R.M. Tromp, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
F.M. Ross, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
P.C. Searson, Johns Hopkins University
Correspondent: Click to Email
In current copper metallization technology, copper is electrodeposited onto a barrier layer pre-covered by a thin copper seed layer. As the feature sizes of the trenches and vias continue to shrink, strategies for direct deposition of copper onto the barrier layer need to be explored. Copper electrodeposition on diffusion barrier layers occurs through 3D island growth, and hence nucleation and growth play an important role in determining the properties of metallization. We have studied nucleation and growth processes during electrochemical deposition of copper using the in situ transmission electron microscopy.@footnote 1@ This is a real time, high resolution imaging technique that allows us to study the evolution of island density with time, as well as the spatial and temporal correlations between islands. In this study we report on the nucleation and growth parameters for copper electrodeposition, obtained using both ex situ and in situ experimental techniques. We examine the relationship between potential, solution chemistry, and island density. Furthermore, we show that under appropriate experimental conditions, a high density of copper islands and a continuous thin copper film can be obtained at the surface. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ F. M. Ross, Growth processes and phase transformations studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy. IBM Journal of Research, 44, 489-501, 2000