Depth resolution in Auger depth profile analysis of aluminum metallization in microelectronics: The effect of crystalline texture

Pamler, W.; Wangemann, K.; Kampermann, S.; Hösler, W.

doi:10.1016/0168-583x(90)90536-4

Cited by 57 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Whereas in GDOES the variation of the ion current density across the crater (particularly at the crater rim) may be the reason for increasing 'roughness', in AES, where a rastered ion beam is used for profiling, the sample texture together with the crystalline orientation effect of the sputtering yield is the cause. 12 Indeed, the apparently improved depth resolution above 55 nm sputtered depth for the GDOES profile is a clear indication of a positive interference of part of the sample that is just a period deeper or less deeply sputtered, i.e. of different sputtering rates.…”

Section: Comparison Of Gdoes and Aes With Respect To Depth Resolutionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The physical explanation for the origin of sputter-induced roughness by crystallite orientation effects was given by Pamler et al in 1990. 12 More recently, studies with atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed the details of the interplay between the depth dependence of depth resolution and the roughness development when sputter depth profiling thin metallic films without sample rotation.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…12 More recently, studies with atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed the details of the interplay between the depth dependence of depth resolution and the roughness development when sputter depth profiling thin metallic films without sample rotation. 13 Figure 2(a) shows the development of the depth distribution during sputter depth profiling of a thin evaporated Al film.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Advances in sputter depth profiling using AES

Hofmann¹

2003

Surface & Interface Analysis

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Sputter depth profiling using AES is a routinely applied method in surface, interface and thin-film analysis. After about 30 years of constant progress the present state is characterized by improved instrumentation, e.g. sample rotation capabilities and low-energy ion guns, as well as by improved quantification methods for the raw data depth profiles. Profile quantification by reconstruction of the original in-depth distribution of composition using the so-called (atomic) mixing-roughness-information depth (MRI) model has proved to be a powerful tool for extracting more precise and extended information of the measured profiles, e.g. quantification with submonolayer accuracy, intrinsic determination of the sputtering rate and determination of localized interdiffusion coefficients as low as 10 −22 m 2 s −1 were obtained. Because the MRI model is based on physically well-defined parameters, it can be applied successfully to other profiling techniques such as SIMS or GDOES. Although in many cases the MRI model can be applied in its original version, some materials require modification by a preferential sputtering coefficient. Further modifications will be necessary to take care of non-linear effects in the concentration dependence and in the compositional distribution within the atomic mixing zone. In summary, quantitative depth profiling using AES has now attained an advanced stage, where its combination with the MRI model is being introduced in commercial instrument software.

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Section: Comparison Of Gdoes and Aes With Respect To Depth Resolutionmentioning

confidence: 97%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Advances in sputter depth profiling using AES

Hofmann¹

2003

Surface & Interface Analysis

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“…Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), is, besides other effects, strongly influenced by sample topography 1,2 and crystalline structure. 3,4 In general, the accuracy of a sputter depth profile may be quantified by the depth resolution z. 5,6 Quite often, z is degraded mainly by the sample surface roughness, and this occurs both on samples with an initial roughness of the surface 1,2 and on originally smooth samples with roughness induced by ion sputtering during depth profiling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of surface structure on depth resolution of AES depth profiles of Ni/Cr multilayers

Zalar¹,

Praček²,

Panjan

2000

Surf. Interface Anal.

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The influence of surface topography and crystalline structure on the depth resolution of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiles of Ni/Cr multilayers was studied on three different samples sputter deposited onto smooth Si(111) substrates: an Ni/Cr multilayer composed of 16 alternating Ni and Cr layers with a single layer thickness of~30 nm, and the same Ni/Cr multilayer covered either with a smooth amorphous Ta 2 O 5 layer~50 nm thick or a crystalline Al layer with an average thickness of~40 nm and a relatively large average surface roughness (R a = 21.5 nm) in comparison with the first two samples (R a < 1 nm).All three types of samples were AES depth profiled with (1 rpm) and without sample rotation, using two symmetrically inclined 1 keV Ar Y ion beams at two different ion incidence angles of 47°and 80°. The AES depth profiles obtained at an ion incidence angle of 47°on stationary Ni/Cr and a-Ta 2 O 5 /Ni/Cr multilayer samples with smooth surfaces showed sharp interfaces with a depth resolution of approximately the same order of magnitude. However, due to surface microroughness induced by ion sputtering, a slight monotonous degradation of the depth resolution with sputter depth was observed on both samples. In contrast, AES depth profiling of the Al/Ni/Cr stationary sample with the initially rough crystalline Al surface layer caused in-depth topographical changes of the Ni/Cr multilayer, and the originally sharp internal interfaces were strongly broadened. The optimal depth resolution was obtained by rotational depth profiling of the samples at an ion incidence angle of~80°. The values of depth resolution were independent of the sputter depth, and were of the same order of magnitude for all three types of samples, lying between 4.5 and 8.0 nm. An atomic force microscopy study of as-deposited and selected ion-sputtered samples showed that use of a grazing incidence angle and sample rotation during AES depth profiling promoted a smoothing effect and reduced the microroughness of the initially rough sample surface.

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“…Figure 8 allows us to determine the critical angle for surface channeling as crit = 73°. For bulk channeling, sputter yields Y chan ͑ chan − ͒ have been described as the product of the corresponding amorphous yield Y amorph and the nonchanneling fraction ͑ chan − ͒, [33][34][35] …”

Section: Molecular Dynamics Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Step-edge sputtering through grazing incidence ions investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

et al. 2008

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Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to quantify step-edge sputtering of Pt͑111͒ at 550 K by grazing incidence ion bombardment with 5 keV Ar + ions. For bombardment conditions causing negligible erosion on terraces, damage features associated with step bombardment allow us to visualize step retraction and thus to quantify the step-edge sputtering yield. An alternative method for step-edge yield determination, which is applicable under more general conditions, is the analysis of the concentration of ascending steps together with the removed amount as a function of ion fluence. Interestingly, the azimuthal direction of the impinging ions with respect to the surface significantly changes the sputtering yield at step edges. This change is attributed to the orientation dependence of subsurface channeling. Atomistic insight into step-edge sputtering and its azimuthal dependence is given by molecular dynamics simulations of ion impacts at 0 and 550 K. The simulations also demonstrate a strong dependence of the step-edge sputtering yield on temperature.

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Depth resolution in Auger depth profile analysis of aluminum metallization in microelectronics: The effect of crystalline texture

Cited by 57 publications

References 15 publications

Advances in sputter depth profiling using AES

Advances in sputter depth profiling using AES

Effects of surface structure on depth resolution of AES depth profiles of Ni/Cr multilayers

Step-edge sputtering through grazing incidence ions investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

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