Preparation of Single-Oriented (111)VN Film with Low-Resistivity and Its Application as Diffusion Barrier between Cu and Si

We have investigated the optimum conditions for preparing single-oriented (111)VN film with low-resistivity by reactive sputtering and prepared a Cu/VN/Si contact system to apply the (111)VN film as a diffusion barrier used in the Cu metallization technology of Si-LSI. Then, influences of various sputtering conditions on the film quality of VN were investigated, and the thermal stability of the contact system was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analyses. As a result, it is revealed that a nearly stoichiometric single-oriented (111)VN film with a resistivity of 57 µΩ cm can be prepared under the optimum sputtering conditions, and the Cu/VN/Si contact system is satisfactorily stable up to 700°C, even when the thickness of the VN diffusion barrier is reduced to 30 nm.