HRTEM and EFTEM studies of the evolution of Cu/Ta/SiO2/Si interfaces in ULSI devices

Abstract

The Cu/Ta/SiO2/Si films have been annealed at temperatures from 500 degreesC to 600 degreesC in various vacuum conditions. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to characterize the microstructure of the films after annealing. It shows that different thicknesses of amorphous interlayer were formed between Cu and Ta under various vacuum conditions. Energy dispersive spectroscopy confirmed this interlayer to be tantalum oxide. It has also found that tantalum oxidation is caused by oxygen from the outside atmosphere diffusing along grain boundaries in copper films.