Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Copper

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Deposition of Cu

Copper can be deposited by e-beam evaporation or sputtering at Nanolab. In the chart below you can compare the different deposition equipment. Further down you will find some results of studies on Cu deposition processes.

Studies of Cu deposition

Resistive thermal evaporation of copper

Roughness of Cu layers - Roughness of Cu layers deposited with the Alcatel e-beam evaporator - this particular machine has been decommissioned, but the results may still be of interest.

Stress in sputtered Cu - Low stress in Cu films sputtered with the Sputter-System (Lesker)

Comparison of equipment for Cu deposition

	E-beam evaporation (E-beam evaporator (Temescal) and E-beam evaporator (10-pockets))	Sputter deposition (Lesker)	Sputter deposition (Sputter-system Metal-Oxide (PC1) and Sputter-system Metal-Nitride (PC3))
General description	E-beam deposition of Cu (line-of-sight deposition)	Sputter deposition of Cu (not line-of-sight deposition)	Sputter deposition of Cu (not line-of-sight deposition)
Pre-clean	Ar ion etch (only in E-beam evaporator Temescal)	RF Ar clean	RF Ar clean
Layer thickness	10Å to 1µm*	10Å to 1µm**	10Å to 1µm**
Deposition rate	1-10 Å/s	~ 1 Å/s	Depends on process parameters, at least up to 8.7 Å/s, see conditions here
Batch size	Up to 4x6" wafers Up to 3x8" wafers (ask for holder) smaller pieces	smaller pieces Up to 1x6" wafers	Up to 10x4" or 6" wafers or many smaller pieces
Allowed materials	Almost any that does not degas - also if you plan to use heating. See also the cross-contamination sheet	Almost any that does not degas. See also the cross-contamination sheet	Almost that does not degas also if you plan to heat the substrate - see cross contamination sheets for PC1 and PC3

* To deposit layers thicker than 600 nm permission is required to ensure that there is enough metal (contact metal@nanolab.dtu.dk)

** To deposit layers thicker than 200 nm permission is required to ensure that there is enough metal (contact metal@nanolab.dtu.dk)