Abstract
Microstructure evolution during NH3 plasma treatment of the surface of TaNx barrier films was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to understand how the plasma treatment improves the palladium activation process for electroless copper deposition. Plan view TEM and selected area diffraction pattern (SADP) results showed that the outermost surface of the crystalline TaNx layer was transformed to the amorphous phase by the NH3 plasma treatment. The surface energy, evaluated by contact angle measurement, of TaNx films was increased by the NH3 plasma treatment. The increase in the surface energy of TaNx films by the plasma treatment seems to increase the nucleation sites for palladium activation. It is thought that the enhancement of the palladium activation process by the NH3 plasma treatment was caused by an increase in the surface energy of TaNx films during the plasma treatment.
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