This work examined the thin-film properties and diffusion barrier behavior of sputtered Ta-TM (TM ס Fe, Co) films, aiming at depositing a highly crystallization-resistant and conductive diffusion barrier film for Cu metallization. Four-point probe measurement, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and a secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) were used to examine the barrier properties. Structural examination indicated that intermetallic-compound-free amorphous Ta-TM films were obtained by magnetron sputtering, thus giving a resistivity of 146.82 ⍀-cm and 247.01 ⍀-cm for Ta 0.5 Fe 0.5 and Ta 0.5 Co 0.5 films, respectively. The Si/Ta 0.5 Fe 0.5 /Cu and Si/Ta 0.5 Co 0.5 /Cu stacked samples were observed to fail completely at temperature above 650°C and 700°C because of the formation of Cu 3 Si protrusions between silicon and the Ta-TM interface. Ta 0.5 Co 0.5 is thus superior to Ta 0.5 Fe 0.5 in preventing copper from diffusion. Highly thermally stabilized amorphous Ta-TM thin film can thus be potentially adopted as a diffusion barrier for Cu metallization.
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