A strategy for monitoring the influence of moisture on the Cu/low-k interconnect patterning and reliability in the manufacturing process

IF 1.9 4区工程技术 Q3 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

Microelectronics Reliability Pub Date : 2025-08-21 DOI:10.1016/j.microrel.2025.115894

Ki Dong Yang , Jae Hyeong Lee , Eunji Hwang , Byoungwook Woo , Nam Hyun Lee , Hoomi Choi , Eunyoung Han , Young Jeong Kim

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Abstract

This study investigates the impact of moisture on the patterning process and reliability of Cu/low-k interconnects. Using optical emission spectroscopy (OES), we observed differences in the end-point detection (EPD) signal depending on the storage conditions, with an increase in CF-related peaks. This was found to be due to the faster etch rate of the low-k dielectric film caused by the increased surface -OH, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, the influence of moisture-uptake on the electrical performance of the Cu/low-k interconnects were observed through I-V curves, and this trend was found to be predictable and interpretable according to the EPD value. These findings demonstrate a methodology for predicting reliability characteristics using a large amount of fab data, highlighting the importance of optimizing the fabrication process and storage environment for low-k dielectric materials to ensure their reliability in advanced semiconductor devices.

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一种在制造过程中监测湿度对铜/低钾互连图案和可靠性影响的策略

本研究探讨了水分对铜/低钾互连的图像化过程和可靠性的影响。利用光学发射光谱（OES），我们观察到终端检测（EPD）信号随储存条件的不同而变化，cf相关峰增加。x射线光电子能谱（XPS）证实，这是由于表面-OH增加导致低k介电膜的腐蚀速率加快所致。此外，通过I-V曲线观察了吸湿对Cu/低k互连材料电性能的影响，发现这一趋势可以通过EPD值来预测和解释。这些发现展示了一种利用大量晶圆厂数据预测可靠性特性的方法，强调了优化低k介电材料的制造工艺和存储环境以确保其在先进半导体器件中的可靠性的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Microelectronics Reliability 工程技术-工程：电子与电气

CiteScore

3.30

自引率

12.50%

发文量

342

审稿时长

68 days

期刊介绍： Microelectronics Reliability, is dedicated to disseminating the latest research results and related information on the reliability of microelectronic devices, circuits and systems, from materials, process and manufacturing, to design, testing and operation. The coverage of the journal includes the following topics: measurement, understanding and analysis; evaluation and prediction; modelling and simulation; methodologies and mitigation. Papers which combine reliability with other important areas of microelectronics engineering, such as design, fabrication, integration, testing, and field operation will also be welcome, and practical papers reporting case studies in the field and specific application domains are particularly encouraged. Most accepted papers will be published as Research Papers, describing significant advances and completed work. Papers reviewing important developing topics of general interest may be accepted for publication as Review Papers. Urgent communications of a more preliminary nature and short reports on completed practical work of current interest may be considered for publication as Research Notes. All contributions are subject to peer review by leading experts in the field.