Comparison of copper damascene and aluminum RIE metallization in BICMOS technology

Modern interconnect schemes will be using copper instead of aluminum as met allization material due to its better electrical conductivity and its super ior electromigration resistance. Using a production worthy BICMOS process i t could be revealed that especially for this kind of application a copper d ual damascene metallization offers serious advantages versus an aluminum RI E/tungsten plug approach. Interconnect parameters which are very helpful fo r high-performance RF technologies like line and via resistances can be red uced showing equal leakage current properties. Current density can be incre ased and up to now no impact on Bipolar and only slight influence on CMOS d evices, which needs to be investigated in more detail, is detected. (C) 200 1 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.