Room-temperature copper metallization for ultralarge-scale integrated circuits by a low kinetic-energy particle process

Abstract

Copper films were epitaxially grown on (100)Si substrates at room temperatures utilizing low kinetic-energy particle bombardment of growing copper film surfaces. The crystallographic structure of the film, such as (100) or (111) orientation, was selected by controlling the energy of incident particles. Low-temperature, damage-free substrate surface cleaning has also been realized by the low kinetic-energy particle process, which has made it possible to form ideal metal-semiconductor contacts without employing any alloying heat cycles.