We explored suitable amorphous alloys for a diffusion barrier interlayer between conductor and insulator materials for advanced semiconductor devices. A thermodynamic simulation method was employed, for the first time in the field of large-scale integrated circuit interconnections, to enable quantitative evaluation of the thermal stability and diffusion barrier property of the interlayer, which led us to narrow down a vast number of binary alloy candidates to a few cobalt-based alloys. The selected alloys were experimentally examined for adhesion strength with an oxide insulator, resistivity variation with composition, annealing temperature and film thickness, thermal stability of composition distribution and structure, and diffusion barrier property under high electric field at elevated temperature. Combining the simulation and experimental results, we proposed an amorphous Co-15 at. %Zr alloy as the most suitable choice and discussed its possibility and challenges.
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