Correlation of stress and texture evolution during self- and thermal annealing of electroplated Cu films

Electroplated Cu films with different plating conditions and different thickness are characterized during self- and thermal annealing. Faster recrystallization and stress development at room temperature are observed as the plating current density and film thickness are increased. Strong correlation between stress and texture behavior is found for all Cu films and is explained by the minimization of surface/interface energy and strain energy in anisotropic metal films.