Effects of barrier composition and electroplating chemistry on adhesion and voiding in copper/dielectric diffusion barrier films

The effects of electroplating chemistry and dielectric diffusion barrier composition on copper voiding and barrier adhesion are reported. Adhesion was quantified using the four-point bend thin film adhesion technique, and voiding in the Cu films was quantified using scanning electron microscopy. A total of 12 different film stacks were investigated, including three different Cu electroplating chemistries and four different barrier materials (SiN, N-doped SiC, O-doped SiC, and dual-layer SiC). Both plating chemistry and barrier composition have a large effect on interface adhesion and voiding in the Cu film. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate the segregation of Cu electroplating impurities, such as S and Cl, to the Cu/barrier interface. Secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to quantify oxygen content at the Cu/barrier interface in a subset of samples. This interface oxygen content is correlated with measured adhesion values.