Reservoir effect in SiCN capped copper/SiO2 interconnects

By analyzing electromigration in large lines, the reservoir effect due to via connecting matrices has been studied evidencing the key role of the (via + via inter-space) area parameter to gain lifetime. This extra-lifetime can be converted into effective current density increase, useful for circuits very demanding in current, depending on metal level. The understanding of the reservoir effect finally allowed the comparison of electromigration performance of lines of different width. It pointed out that the lifetime decreases with increasing line width, which evidences the copper diffusion at grain boundaries as mechanism.     

CVD TiN layers as diffusion barrier films on porous SiO2 aerogel

In this work the compatibility of MOCVD TiN barrier films on porous SiO₂ aerogel as low-k dielectric was investigated. The continuity, roughness, and sheet resistance, R_s, of the barrier as well as the electrical properties of the aerogel were investigated. A continuous TiN barrier on uncapped and PECVD SiN capped aerogel exists at 30 and ≤20 nm, respectively. The high surface roughness of the TiN is caused by the aerogel layer. TiN penetration into uncapped aerogel was detected in the interface region, whereas capped low-k material shows no interaction with the barrier film.     

Pre-breakdown in thin SiO2 films

The on-off fluctuations of the tunnel current in 5.6 nm SiO₂ films before dielectric breakdown are analyzed in detail. For this purpose, a low noise measurement system has been realized which allows detection of pre-breakdown phenomena and interruption of the stress before catastrophic failure occurs. A spectral analysis of these fluctuations is presented along with preliminary results of the experiments made possible, for the first time, by the new measurement system     

An epitaxial Si/SiO2 superlattice barrier

An epitaxial strain layer Si/SiO₂ superlattice barrier (SLSB) for silicon formed by monolayers of adsorbed oxygen, sandwiched between adjacent thin silicon layers deposited with molecular beam, showed good epitaxy with an effective barrier height of 1.7 eV. Such a barrier should be important for future quantum devices in silicon, as well as new applications in conventional MOS technology.     

Photo-CVD process for ultra thin SiO2 films

In this paper we first report the use of very low deposition rate photo-induced chemical vapor deposition process, (below 0.05 nm/min). This photo-CVD process is adequate to grow very thin and ultra thin layers of SiO₂. Details on the design of the reaction chamber, reactive gases and process parameters to obtain the desired deposition regime are presented. Dependence of deposition rate on pressure in the chamber and gas flow ratio is discussed. Deposited layers were characterized using I–V and C–V techniques.     

Improved characteristics for Pd nanocrystal memory with stacked HfAlO–SiO2 tunnel layer

Stacked HfAlO-SiO₂ tunnel layers are designed for Pd nanocrystal nonvolatile memories. For the sample with 1.5 nm-HfAlO/3.5 nm-SiO₂ tunnel layer, a smaller initial memory window is obtained compared to the sample with 3.5 nm-HfAlO/1.5 nm-SiO₂ tunnel layer. Owing to the thermally induced traps in HfAlO-SiO₂ films are located at a farther distance from the Si substrate and more effective blocking of charge leakage by asymmetric tunnel barrier, a larger final memory window and better retention characteristic can be obtained for Al/blocking oxide SiO₂/Pd NCs/1.5 nm-HfAlO/3.5 nm-SiO₂/Si structure. A N₂ plasma treatment can further improve the memory characteristics. Better memory characteristics can be obtained for Pd-nanocrystal-based nonvolatile memory with an adequate thickness ratio of HfAlO to SiO₂.     

High-field-induced degradation in ultra-thin SiO2 films

Very thin thermal oxides are shown to exhibit a failure mode that is undetected by conventional breakdown tests. This failure mode appears in the form of excessive leakage current at low field and is induced by high-field stresses. The stress-induced oxide leakage is permanent and stable with time and thermal annealing. It becomes the dominant failure mode of thin oxides because it always precedes destructive breakdown. Experimental results and theoretical calculations show that the leakage current is not caused by positive charge generation and accumulation in the oxide. It is proposed that the oxide leakage originates from localized defect-related weak spots where the insulator has experienced significant deterioration from electrical stress. The leakage conduction mechanism appears to be thermally assisted tunneling through the locally reduced injection barrier, and the model seems to be consistent with both I-V measurements at temperatures from 77 K to 250°C and theoretical calculations     

Breakdown characteristics of RTO 10 nm SiO2 films grownat different temperatures

Metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors with 10 nm gate oxides grown by rapid thermal oxidation at temperatures of 1000, 1100 and 1150°C have been electrically characterized by means of C-V techniques, time-zero and time-dependent breakdown experiments. The oxides grown at higher temperatures show superior interfacial and oxide integrity characteristics, which is consistent with a lower level of intrinsic stress in such layers. The overall improvement exhibited by similar samples annealed at the same temperatures also supports this idea. The opposite dependence on the growth temperature observed in TZDB with respect to TDDB experiences has been shown to be consistent with the trapping behaviour exhibited by the samples under study     

Charge storage peculiarities in poly-Si–SiO2–Si memory devices with Si nanocrystals rich SiO2

The paper focuses on the study of charge trapping processes in non-volatile memory metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) structures with Si nanocrystal floating gate formed by Si ion implantation. Careful electrical studies of the MOS structures based on the analysis of the capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics during pulse charge injection in the oxide enabled the distinguishing of the electron emission from the nanoclusters and the charge trapping in structural defects of the dioxide matrix. The trapping model is discussed.     

Thermal Ta2O5––alternative to SiO2 for storage capacitor application

Tantalum pentoxide thin layers (10–100 nm) obtained by thermal oxidation of rf sputtered Ta films on Si have been investigated with respect of their dielectric, structural and electric properties. It is established that stoichiometric Ta₂O₅ detected at the surface of the layers is reduced to tantalum suboxides in their depth. The oxide parameters are discussed in terms of a presence of an unavoidable ultrathin SiO₂ between Si and Ta₂O₅ and bond defects in both the oxide and the interface transition region. Conditions which guarantee obtaining high quality tantalum oxide with a dielectric constant of 32–35 and a leakage current less than 10⁻⁷–10⁻⁸ A/cm² at 1.5 V (SiO₂ equivalent thickness of 2.5–3 nm) are established. These specifications make the layers obtained suitable alternative to SiO₂ for high density DRAMs application.     

Structural properties of fluorinated SiO2 thin films

Fluorinated SiO₂ (SiOF) films, prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from SiH₄, N₂O and CF₄ precursors, have been analysed by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to extract chemical and structural information. Notwithstanding XPS reveals that fluorine concentrations are quite low (less than 4 at.%), the analysis of the Si–O–Si vibration modes in the IR spectra indicates that CF₄ addition involves a deeper modification of the film structure, than the simple formation of Si–F bonds. In particular, by increasing the F concentration in the oxides, the stretching frequency of the Si–O–Si bonds increases, while the bending frequency decreases. On the basis of the central force model, both observations are consistent with the occurrence of a Si–O–Si bond angle relaxation phenomenon, the importance of which increases with the fluorine concentration in the films.     

基于SiO2溶胶的稳定性的Cu/SiO2催化体系在化学机械抛光中的应用研究

There is a lot ofhydroxyl on the surface ofnano SiO2 sol used as an abrasive in the chemical mechanical planarization （CMP） process, and the chemical reaction activity of the hydroxyl is very strong due to the nano effect. In addition to providing a mechanical polishing effect, SiO2 sol is also directly involved in the chemical reaction. The stability of SiO2 sol was characterized through particle size distribution, zeta potential, viscosity, surface charge and other parameters in order to ensure that the chemical reaction rate in the CMP process, and the surface state of the copper film after CMP was not affected by the SiO2 sol. Polarization curves and corrosion potential of different concentrations of SiO2 sol showed that trace SiO2 sol can effectively weaken the passivation film thickness. In other words, SiO2 sol accelerated the decomposition rate of passive film. It was confirmed that the SiO2 sol as reactant had been involved in the CMP process of copper film as reactant by the effect of trace SiO2 sol on the removal rate of copper film in the CMP process under different conditions. In the CMP process, a small amount of SiO2 sol can drastically alter the chemical reaction rate of the copper film, therefore, the possibility that Cu/SiO2 as a catalytic system catalytically accelerated the chemical reaction in the CMP process was proposed. According to the van＇t Hoff isotherm formula and the characteristics of a catalyst which only changes the chemical reaction rate without changing the total reaction standard Gibbs free energy, factors affecting the Cu/SiO2 catalytic reaction were derived from the decomposition rate of Cu （OH）2 and the pH value of the system, and then it was concluded that the CuSiO3 as intermediates of Cu/SiO2 catalytic reaction accelerated the chemical reaction rate in the CMP process. It was confirmed that the Cu/SiO2 catalytic system generated the intermediate of the catalytic reaction （CuSiO3） in the CMP process through the removal rate of copper film, infrared spectrum and AFM diagrams in different pH conditions. FinalLy it is concluded that the SiO2 sol used in the experiment possesses stable performance; in the CMP process it is directly involved in the chemical reaction by creating the intermediate of the catalytic reaction （CuSiO3） whose yield is proportional to the pH value, which accelerates the removal of copper film.     

Time-dependent-dielectric-breakdown characteristics of Hf-doped Ta2O5/SiO2 stack

The Time-Dependent-Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) characteristics of MOS capacitors with Hf-doped Ta₂O₅ films (8 nm) have been analyzed. The devices were investigated by applying a constant voltage stress at gate injection, at room and elevated temperatures. Stress voltage and temperature dependences of hard breakdown of undoped and Hf-doped Ta₂O₅ were compared. The doped Ta₂O₅ exhibits improved TDDB characteristics in regard to the pure one. The maximum voltage projected for a 10 years lifetime at room temperature is −2.4 V. The presence of Hf into the matrix of Ta₂O₅ modifies the dielectric breakdown mechanism making it more adequate to the percolation model. The peculiarities of Weibull distribution of dielectric breakdown are discussed in terms of effect of three factors: nature of pre-existing traps and trapping phenomena; stress-induced new traps generation; interface layer degradation.     

Contact potential measurements on thin SiO2 films

Contact potential measurements by the Kelvin method were performed in vacuum on silicon wafers whose thermal oxide film was etched into the shape of a wedge. A given position along the oxide corresponded directly to a given depth and by scanning a reference electrode stripe across the wafer, information about the distribution of the oxide charge through the thickness was obtained. It was found that the oxide charge was positive and concentrated within a few hundred angstroms of the SiSiO₂ interface.     

A novel method for the deposition of Si–SiO2 superlattices

A novel procedure is proposed for the deposition of Si/SiO₂ multilayers by magnetron sputtering of an SiO₂ target under a hydrogen-rich plasma. The effect of increasing hydrogen pressure (P_H) was investigated for the case of a monolayer. This involved an increased enrichment in the Si of the deposited film, because of the incorporation deficit of oxygen that is efficiently “reduced” by hydrogen. This was found to favour the formation of Si crystallites, together with a significant improvement of the phase segregation between Si grains and silica. The increase of the deposition temperature (T_S) induced similar effects in such a way that the layer obtained with high P_H and T_S behaves as a pure silicon film with a refractive index close to 3.2. Thus, a 40-period Si-rich/silica multilayered system was fabricated by alternating the introduction and the switching off of the hydrogen flux. The related electron microscopy image showed evidence of good quality multilayers, which attests the reliability of the new method.     

Spin synthesis of monolayer of SiO2 thin films

The highly ordered monolayer of submicron size silica (SiO₂) particles (235 nm) is developed on p-silicon by using three-step spin-coating in colloidal suspension, which has significant potential in various applications. The influence of three-step spin speeds, spinning time, acceleration time between different steps, concentration of SiO₂ particles in the solution, solution quantity, and the ambient humidity (relative humidity) on the properties of monolayer SiO₂ are studied in order to achieve a large area monolayer film. A relatively high surface coverage and uniform monolayer film of SiO₂ particles in the range of 85%-90% are achieved by appropriate control of the preparative parameters. We conclude that this method can be useful in industrial applications, because of the fabrication speed, surface coverage and cost of the process.     

毫米波在SiO2基底材料中的传播特性

红外/毫米波分频器件是红外/毫米波复合探测系统的关键器件之一。利用电磁波干涉理论计算和分析了介质材料特征参数对毫米波透射、反射和吸收性能的影响。针对工作频率为35GHz的电磁波,给出了介质材料厚度设计的准则,分析了SiO2材料不同物理厚度和物理厚度偏差对毫米波传输性能的影响。分析结果表明:基底物理厚度越大,基底物理厚度偏差对毫米波透射、反射和吸收性能的影响就越大,要求也越精确。对红外/毫米波分频器件的设计有一定的参考价值。     

The doped Si/SiO2 interface

A study is reported of the influence of dopant atoms on the SiSiO₂ interface states of thermally oxidized silicon. It was found that acceptor or donor atoms induce interface states and oxide charges. The effect is largest in the case of acceptor dopants and is independent of the doping process. The influence of the dopant atoms on oxide charge is probably related to the different segregation coefficients of acceptors and donors.     

SiO2薄膜光学常数物理模型

SiO2薄膜是光学薄膜领域内常用的重要低折射率材料之一。在文中研究中,通过测量薄膜的椭偏参数,使用非线性最小二乘法反演计算获得薄膜的光学常数。采用离子束溅射和电子束蒸发两种方法制备了SiO2薄膜,在拟合过程中,基于L8（22）正交表设计了8组反演计算实验,以评价函数MSE为考核指标。实验结果表明:对IBS SiO2薄膜拟合MSE函数影响最大的为界面层模型,对EB SiO2薄膜拟合MSE函数影响最大的为Pore模型。同时确定了不同物理模型对拟合MSE函数的影响大小和反演计算过程模型选择的次序,按照确定的模型选择次序拟合,两种薄膜反演计算的MSE函数相对初始MSE可下降35%和38%,表明拟合过程模型选择合理物理意义明确。文中提供了一种判断薄膜物理模型中各因素对于薄膜光学常数分析作用大小的途径,对于薄膜光学常数分析具有指导意义。