LINER CONFORMALITY IN IONIZED MAGNETRON SPUTTER METAL-DEPOSITION PROCESSES

The conformality of thin metal films (liners) formed on high-aspect-ra tio trench structures in ionized magnetron sputter deposition processe s is studied numerically and experimentally. The numerical simulator ( SHADE) used to predict the surface topography is based on the shock-tr acking method for surface evolution. The simulation results are in goo d agreement with experimentally observed thin-film topography. It is s hown that combination of direct deposition and trench-bottom resputter ing results in good conformality of step coverages and the amount of t he resputtering needed for the good conformality is almost independent of trench aspect ratios. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.