SURFACE CLEANING OF COPPER BY THERMAL AND PLASMA TREATMENT IN REDUCING AND INERT AMBIENTS

The effects of surface cleaning procedures on the subsequent reactivit y of a pure copper thin film to silane was investigated. Ex situ, wet etching and in situ dry, plasma etching using inert and reducing chemi stries were employed. A few seconds low power (50 W) plasma exposure u sing a 3 vol% hydrogen in argon gas mixture was found to be the most b eneficial technique for subsequent silicide formation by the,silane ex posure technique. (C) 1998 American Vacuum Society.