Evolution of grain and micro-void structure in electroplated copper interconnects

Abstract

A detailed investigation has been carried out into the evolution of grain size and grain orientation in electroplated Cu interconnection lines. The specimens were annealed to produce a range of different grain size distributions. Very accurate grain size distributions were obtained from extensive TEM observations of a large number of specimens, followed by computer tracing of grain boundaries. Although annealing causes the average grain size to increase, very small grains are found to persist in the distribution, even when the average grain size is large. These small grains have been investigated in detail to determine the reason for their thermal stability. In addition, the occurrence and redistribution of small micro-voids has been investigated for wafers with different grain sizes. These voids are believed to be associated with seams which are formed in the Cu lines during plating.