Thermal stability of Cu/Ta/GaAs multilayers

Copper metallization for GaAs was evaluated by using Cu/Ta/GaAs multilayers for its thermal stability. A thin Ta layer of 40 nm was sputtered on the GaAs substrate as the diffusion barrier before copper film metallization. As judged from sheet resistance, x-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, the Cu/Ta films with GaAs were very stable up to 500 °C without migration into GaAs. After 550 °C annealing, the interfacial mixing of Ta with GaAs substrate occurred, resulting in the formation of TaAs2. At 600 °C annealing, the reaction GaAs with Ta and Cu formed TaAs, TaAs2, and Cu3Ga, resulting from Cu migration and interfacial instability.