A simulation study of copper reflow characteristics in vias

The reliable and complete filling of vias and trenches with an appropriate metal is an important process in the fabrication of microelectronic components. Due to its favorable electronic properties and its reliability, copper is a common choice for replacing aluminum as a metallization material. One metallization procedure of interest is the sputter reflow of copper. The sputter reflow process begins with depositing copper via traditional sputter technologies. The films are subsequently made to fill micrometer and submicrometer trenches and vias through surface diffusion enhanced by annealing. This paper studies fundamental considerations such as deposition rates, underlayer material, and transport mechanisms through numerical simulation using the process simulators SIMSPUD and GROFILMS. The simulations are further used to study via filling using Cu reflow and alternative methods including in situ annealing, three-step deposition, and a four-stage deposition-chemical mechanical polishing procedure. Simulation results are presented as depictions of the film on the feature scale. A discussion of the algorithmic solutions to the three-dimensional problems associated with vias is also provided