EFFECT OF AR SPUTTER ETCH ON THE TEXTURE OF TI AND AL TIN/TI METAL STACK/

The effects of Ar sputter etch and Ti deposition temperature on the cr ystalline orientation of Ti films deposited by long-throw sputtering g eometry are reported. Both Ar sputter etch and high Ti deposition temp erature degraded the Ti microstructure from highly (002) Ti textured t o mixed (002) Ti and (011) Ti. This degradation produced a wide distri bution in the crystalline orientation of Al grains in the Al/TiN/Ti st ack. A mechanism based on the effects of Ar sputter etch on the oxide surface roughness and surface chemistry was proposed to explain the ef fect of Ar etch on the crystalline texture of Ti and Al in the Al/TiN/ Ti stack.