Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
The effects of various integration processes on the adhesion of SiLKTM to the Ta barrier layer were studied. We have found that the H2/He reactive plasma clean treatment (RPC) causes poor adhesion between these two layers. The results obtained from TOF-SIMS showed that hydrogen plasma had caused damage to the SiLK surface causing molecular fragmentation. Hydrogen had also been chemically incorporated into SiLK to form a hydrogen-saturated surface. To improve adhesion, an argon sputtering process was employed to remove this altered SiLK surface layer. Adhesion was found to have been improved and no delamination was observed even up to integration of 7 metal layers.