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Growth of Gold Dendritic Nanoforests on Titanium Nitride-coated Silicon Substrates
Published on: June 3, 2019
Nano-scale surface morphology evolution of Cu/Ti thin films
Qi-Jing Lin1, Shu-Ming Yang, Weixuan Jing
1State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
|July 26, 2013
Summary
Investigating copper/titanium/silicon thin films revealed that annealing temperature influences Cu agglomeration and dendritic growth. Film structure transitions from crystalline to amorphous with increasing temperature, depending on sublayer thickness.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Thin Film Technology
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Understanding the behavior of thin films during annealing is crucial for developing advanced electronic and photonic devices.
- Solid-phase reactions, agglomeration, and dendritic growth are key phenomena affecting thin film properties.
- Copper/Titanium/Silicon (Cu/Ti/Si) systems are relevant for interconnects and diffusion barriers in microelectronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the solid-phase reaction, agglomeration, and dendritic growth in Cu/Ti/Si thin films.
- To analyze the effect of different sublayer thicknesses (70 nm Cu/20 nm Ti/Si and 20 nm Cu/70 nm Ti/Si) on film evolution.
- To determine the influence of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) temperatures (500–800 °C) on the structural and morphological properties.
Main Methods:
- Thin film preparation with varying Cu and Ti layer thicknesses on Si substrates.
- Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 800 °C.
- Structural analysis using X-ray Diffraction (XRD).
- Surface morphology characterization via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
- Electrical property measurement using the four-point probe method for sheet resistance.
Main Results:
- Dendritic patterns were observed in both film compositions at elevated temperatures, with varying densities.
- In 70 nm Cu/20 nm Ti/Si films, Cu agglomeration occurred up to 700 °C, with the film remaining crystalline after annealing at 800 °C.
- In 20 nm Cu/70 nm Ti/Si films, complete Cu agglomeration was observed after 500 °C, and the film exhibited an amorphous structure after annealing at 800 °C.
Conclusions:
- Sublayer thickness significantly impacts the annealing behavior, including Cu agglomeration onset and final film structure.
- Rapid thermal annealing promotes dendritic growth in Cu/Ti/Si thin films, with temperature and composition being critical factors.
- The transition from crystalline to amorphous structures is dependent on annealing temperature and the initial Cu/Ti ratio.
