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Materials Science and Engineering

Copper

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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Effects Of Magnetite Particle Morphology On Adsorption Of Copper Ions From Aqueous Solutions, Alisa Hashley May 2024

Effects Of Magnetite Particle Morphology On Adsorption Of Copper Ions From Aqueous Solutions, Alisa Hashley

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Adsorptive processes can be used for metal contaminant removal. This work addresses magnetite, a magnetic iron oxide, as the adsorbent for use in an adsorptive removal system, known as the continuous flow material recovery system (CFMR), developed by Leitzke et al. [1]. Though the system is effective in removing contaminants from aqueous solution, efforts to further improve efficiency are being made. One way to improve the efficiency of the CFMR is to analyze the magnetite particles being used and investigate how the particle properties effect adsorption. The author’s research is presented and discussed here to describe the effects magnetite particle …


The Study Of Corrosion On Additive-Manufactured Metals., Braydan Daniels May 2023

The Study Of Corrosion On Additive-Manufactured Metals., Braydan Daniels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the corrosion mechanisms between wrought and additive-manufactured (3D-printed) copper and stainless steel. The experimental procedure consisted of measuring the open circuit potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry, Tafel analysis, surface topology, and scanning electron microscopy for each metal within salt water, tap water, sulfuric acid, and synthetic body fluid (excluding copper in synthetic body fluid).

Overall, printed stainless steel was more corrosion-resistant than wrought stainless steel in tap water and synthetic body fluid based on OCP, LSV, and surface topology results. Additionally, printed copper was more corrosion-resistant than wrought …


Use Of Electrochemical Techniques And Statistical Analysis To Investigate The Pitting Probability Of Copper, Sina Matin Mar 2023

Use Of Electrochemical Techniques And Statistical Analysis To Investigate The Pitting Probability Of Copper, Sina Matin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The development of a safe permanent disposal plan is essential for the long-term disposal of used fuel bundles. Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has been investigating the deep geologic disposal of nuclear waste which offers the optimum passive safety system with a negligible probability of release of radionuclides into the environment.

The proposed used fuel containers (UFC) for the permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste in Canada is comprised of a carbon steel vessel coated with a 3 mm corrosion-resistant copper layer deposited using a combination of electrodeposition and cold spray deposition. Although copper is often considered to be thermodynamically …


Global Tellurium Supply Potential From Electrolytic Copper Refining, Nedal T. Nassar, Haeyeon Kim, Max Frenzel, Michael S. Moats, Sarah M. Hayes Sep 2022

Global Tellurium Supply Potential From Electrolytic Copper Refining, Nedal T. Nassar, Haeyeon Kim, Max Frenzel, Michael S. Moats, Sarah M. Hayes

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The transition towards renewable energy requires increasing quantities of nonfuel mineral commodities, including tellurium used in certain photovoltaics. While demand for tellurium may increase markedly, the potential to increase tellurium supply is not well-understood. In this analysis, we estimate the quantity of tellurium contained in anode slimes generated by electrolytic copper refining by country between 1986 and 2018, including uncertainties. For 2018, the results indicate that 1930 (1500-2700, 95% confidence interval) metric tons of tellurium were contained in anode slimes globally. This is nearly quadruple the reported tellurium production for that year. China has the greatest potential to increase tellurium …


Study Thermodynamics Of The Magnetite Sulfidation In Copper Smelting Processes, A S. Khasanov, Q T. Ochildiyev, B T. Berdiyarov, Sh T. Khojiev, S T. Matkarimov Jul 2022

Study Thermodynamics Of The Magnetite Sulfidation In Copper Smelting Processes, A S. Khasanov, Q T. Ochildiyev, B T. Berdiyarov, Sh T. Khojiev, S T. Matkarimov

Technical science and innovation

The article discusses the problem of reducing the amount of magnetite in the impregnation of copper in the slag generated after the conversion process in copper production in the furnace to reduce slag. Accordingly, a method of lowering magnetite by sulfidation has been proposed, using elemental sulfur as a local and relatively inexpensive sulfiding-reducing agent. The mechanism of chemical phenomena occurring in the interaction regions of magnetite and elemental sulfur has been developed. Based on the mechanism of chemical reactions produced, each chemical reaction that occurs in the process is analysed from a thermodynamic point of view. According to the …


Functionally Magnetic Gradient Copper-Nickel Material Fabricated Via Directed Energy Deposition, Vy Tran Phuong Nguyen Jan 2022

Functionally Magnetic Gradient Copper-Nickel Material Fabricated Via Directed Energy Deposition, Vy Tran Phuong Nguyen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Functionally gradient materials (FGMs) of CuSn10 and Inconel 718 were fabricated via a hybrid directed energy deposition (DED) system. The objective of the present thesis is to determine the feasibility of manufacturing CuSn10 and Inconel 718 FGMs via DED and investigate the physical and mechanical properties and the microstructures of the resulting FGMs. The physical tests comprised of conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements. The microstructure analysis and mechanical testing include microscopic imaging, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and hardness test. In addition, compressive strength test was performed to analyze the interface bonding behaviors.


The Effect Of Mass Transport On Deposit Quality In Copper Electrowinning, Joseph Bauer Jan 2022

The Effect Of Mass Transport On Deposit Quality In Copper Electrowinning, Joseph Bauer

Doctoral Dissertations

"Roughness and nodulation of copper electrodeposits depend strongly on mass transfer conditions of copper ions to the electrode surface. Mass transfer properties in electrowinning electrolytes were first characterized. The effective diffusivity of cupric ion was measured with a rotating disk electrode in CuSO4-H2SO4 electrolytes at temperatures relevant to electrowinning, with and without additives. Adding 20 mg L-1 of chloride ion increased the measured diffusion coefficient, but commercial smoothing additives had little effect. An empirical formula to predict cupric diffusivity was generated for later use in mass transport modeling.

Boundary layer thickness information for commercial …


Improving Base Metal Electrowinning, Charles Ebenezer Abbey Jan 2019

Improving Base Metal Electrowinning, Charles Ebenezer Abbey

Doctoral Dissertations

"In zinc electrowinning, Mn oxidizes to form MnO2 on Pb-Ag anodes, cell walls and pipes. MnO2 reduces anode corrosion but also leads to short circuits and maintenance issues. MnO2 is thought to interact with chloride ions and produce oxidized chlorine species. The interactions between Mn and Cl are not well understood. Bench scale experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the manganese to chloride ratio on anode corrosion rate and electrolyte chemistry using rolled Pb-Ag anodes. Increasing the average Mn/Cl- ratio from ~7:1 to ~11:1 reduced the anode corrosion rate. Anode scales produced with Mn/Cl …


Electrodeposited Epitaxial Cobalt Oxides And Copper Metal, Caleb M. Hull Jan 2018

Electrodeposited Epitaxial Cobalt Oxides And Copper Metal, Caleb M. Hull

Doctoral Dissertations

"Electrochemical deposition methods are presented for the deposition of Co(OH)2 and Cu metal. Paper I shows the deposition of β-Co(OH)2 on Ti through electrochemical reduction of [Co(en)3]3+ to [Co(en)3]2+ in 2M NaOH. The catalytic properties of the deposited Co(OH)2 towards water oxidation is found comparable to Co3O4, with the surface of the Co(OH)2 converting to CoOOH during the reaction. Paper II gives the conditions suitable for epitaxial growth of Co(OH)2 on Au(100), Au(110), and Au(111) following the same reduction mechanism as described in Paper I. …


Novel Durable Antimicrobial Ceramic With Embedded Copper Sub-Microparticles For A Steady-State Release Of Copper Ions, Adam J. Drelich, Jessie Miller, Robert Donofrio, Jaroslaw Drelich Jul 2017

Novel Durable Antimicrobial Ceramic With Embedded Copper Sub-Microparticles For A Steady-State Release Of Copper Ions, Adam J. Drelich, Jessie Miller, Robert Donofrio, Jaroslaw Drelich

Michigan Tech Publications

Using pottery clay, porous ceramic stones were molded and then decorated with copper sub-microparticles inside the pores. Copper added antimicrobial functionality to the clay-based ceramic and showed ability in disinfecting water. Populations of both Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae in contaminated water were reduced by >99.9% in 3 h when exposed to an antimicrobial stone. This antimicrobial performance is attributed to a slow release of copper into water at both room and elevated temperatures. Copper is leached by water to produce ion concentrations in water at a level of 0.05–0.20 ppm after 24 to 72 h immersion tests. This concentration …


Processing And Properties Of Wc-Based Cu-Ni-Mn-Zn Metal Matrix Composites Produced Via Pressureless Infiltration, Paul M. Brune Jan 2017

Processing And Properties Of Wc-Based Cu-Ni-Mn-Zn Metal Matrix Composites Produced Via Pressureless Infiltration, Paul M. Brune

Masters Theses

"This research focuses on the processing and properties of tungsten carbide-based (WC-based) Cu-Ni-Mn-Zn metal matrix composites (MMCs) fabricated by pressureless infiltration. The first goal of this project was to test the wettability of Cu-Ni-Mn and Cu-Ni-Mn-Zn on various carbides. The sessile drop technique was employed to determine if they were suitable candidates for pressureless infiltration. The carbides investigated were TaC, WC, B4C, and SiC. It was determined that both alloys had contact angles of less than 70⁰ on TaC, WC, and B4C, which is one requirement for pressureless infiltration. However, both alloys reacted with B4C to …


Modeling And Studying The Effect Of Texture And Elastic Anisotropy Of Copper Microstructure In Nanoscale Interconnects On Reliability In Integrated Circuits, Adarsh Basavalingappa Jan 2017

Modeling And Studying The Effect Of Texture And Elastic Anisotropy Of Copper Microstructure In Nanoscale Interconnects On Reliability In Integrated Circuits, Adarsh Basavalingappa

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Copper interconnects are typically polycrystalline and follow a lognormal grain size distribution. Polycrystalline copper interconnect microstructures with a lognormal grain size distribution were obtained with a Voronoi tessellation approach. The interconnect structures thus obtained were used to study grain growth mechanisms, grain boundary scattering, scattering dependent resistance of interconnects, stress evolution, vacancy migration, reliability life times, impact of orientation dependent anisotropy on various mechanisms, etc. In this work, the microstructures were used to study the impact of microstructure and elastic anisotropy of copper on thermal and electromigration induced failure.


Homo- And Heterometallic Bis(Pentafluorobenzoyl)Methanide Complexes Of Copper(Ii) And Cobalt(Ii), Janell Crowder Jan 2017

Homo- And Heterometallic Bis(Pentafluorobenzoyl)Methanide Complexes Of Copper(Ii) And Cobalt(Ii), Janell Crowder

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

β-Diketones are well known to form metal complexes with practically every known metal and metalloid. Metal complexes of fluorinated β-diketones generally exhibit increased volatility and thermal stability compared to the non-fluorinated analogues, and thus are used extensively in various chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes for the deposition of metal, simple or mixed metal oxides, and fluorine-doped metal oxide thin films. Furthermore, the electron-withdrawing nature of the fluorinated ligand enhances the Lewis acidity of a coordinatively unsaturated metal center which facilitates additional coordination reactions. The physical and structural properties of fluorinated β-diketonate complexes are discussed in Chapter 1 …


Investigation On Laser Induced Deposition Of Cu-Based Materials At [Bmim]Bf4/Pt Electrode Interface, Min-Min Xu, Jin-Hua Mei, Jian-Lin Yao, Ren-Ao Gu Dec 2016

Investigation On Laser Induced Deposition Of Cu-Based Materials At [Bmim]Bf4/Pt Electrode Interface, Min-Min Xu, Jin-Hua Mei, Jian-Lin Yao, Ren-Ao Gu

Journal of Electrochemistry

By controlling the negative potential, Cu-based materials were deposited at the [BMIm]BF4/Pt electrode interface under the laser irradiation. The effects of laser power and irradiation time on the yield of deposition products were studied by using different laser powers and different irradiation time. The product yield could be directly determined by the size of deposition point through the observation from the optical microscope. Further mechanism study combined with the formula deduced that the thermal effect of the laser could make the electrode surface temperature rise 110 degrees, which can promote the occurrence of electrodeposition. By SEM characterization, the …


Doped Tio2 Nanowires For Applications In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells And Sacrifical Hydrogen Production, Qasem Alsharari Apr 2016

Doped Tio2 Nanowires For Applications In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells And Sacrifical Hydrogen Production, Qasem Alsharari

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explores the synthesis of metal oxide 1-D nanowires using a sol-gel method in supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2), as an environmental friendly enabling solvent. Porous nanowires were synthesized and their performance was tested in dye sensitized solar cell and sacrifical hydrogen production. Titanium isopropoxide (TIP) was used as a precursor for titania synthesis while copper, bismuth and indium were examined as dopants, respectively. The sol-gel reactions were catalyzed by acetic acid in CO2 at a temperature of 60 °C and pressure of 5000 psi. It was observed that acetic acid/monomer ratio > 4 produced nanowires while a …


Texture And Microstructure Of Ipvd Copper Manganese Seed In 1 Μm & 70 Nm Wide Damascene Trenches, Robert Stuart Brown Jan 2016

Texture And Microstructure Of Ipvd Copper Manganese Seed In 1 Μm & 70 Nm Wide Damascene Trenches, Robert Stuart Brown

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This thesis describes the grain texture and microstructure of Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition (iPVD) Copper Manganese seed in 1 µm and 70 nm wide damascene trenches. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) imaging and diffraction pattern analysis, the grain size and general orientation of the grains were determined. It was found that the 1 µm wide trenches contained larger grains and more texture than that of the 70 nm wide trenches. While this thesis builds upon previous work by Brendan O’Brien in the Dunn group, one significantly different finding will be presented regarding the structure on the sidewall of the trenches. …


Voltammetric Investigation Of Xanthate Chemisorption On A Chalcopyrite Surface, Jesse Lynn Bowden Apr 2015

Voltammetric Investigation Of Xanthate Chemisorption On A Chalcopyrite Surface, Jesse Lynn Bowden

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Cyclic Voltammetry experiments have been conducted on copper, iron, and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and compared to mass-balanced EH-pH Diagrams. Potassium ethyl xanthate (KEX) was added to solution and additional voltammetry experiments were performed to determine the surface chemistry reactions of flotation collector in solution with these minerals. The ultimate goal of this research was to investigate the possibility of xanthate chemisorption onto the chalcopyrite mineral surface. Results of the copper mineral testing confirm previous literature studies and corroborate published isotherm data. Results of the iron mineral testing showed changes in surface reactions with the addition of potassium ethyl xanthate to solution, …


Understanding Impurities In Copper Electrometallurgy, Paul Laforest Jan 2015

Understanding Impurities In Copper Electrometallurgy, Paul Laforest

Masters Theses

"This work involves examining two industrial reports of methods to handle impurities in copper electrowinning and electrorefining. The first part evaluates the addition of Hydrostar, Cyquest N-900, DXG-F7, and Guartec EW to copper electrowinning electrolyte to affect MnO2 deposition on coated titanium anodes (CTAs). The second part examines the effects of anode chemistry and thiourea addition on the ductility of electrorefined copper starter sheet.

In part one, a laboratory cell was used to simulate a short cycle electrowinning cell via chronopotentiometric operation with an IrO2-Ta2O5 CTA at 40⁰C. A cyclic voltammetric sweep was applied …


The Impact Of Seed Layer Structure On The Recrystallization Of Ecd Cu And Its Alloys, Brendan B. O'Brien Jan 2015

The Impact Of Seed Layer Structure On The Recrystallization Of Ecd Cu And Its Alloys, Brendan B. O'Brien

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Despite the significant improvements originally offered by the use of Cu over Al as the interconnect material for semiconductor devices, the continued down-scaling of interconnects has presented significant challenges for semiconductor engineers. As the metal line widths shrink, both the conductivity and reliability of lines decrease due to a stubbornly fine-grained microstructure in narrow lines.


Electrodeposition Of Copper From A Choline Chloride Based Ionic Liquid, Rostom Ali M., Ziaur Rahman Md., Sankarsaha S. Apr 2014

Electrodeposition Of Copper From A Choline Chloride Based Ionic Liquid, Rostom Ali M., Ziaur Rahman Md., Sankarsaha S.

Journal of Electrochemistry

The electrodeposition of copper from a solution containing copper chloride in either an ethylene glycol (EG)-choline chloride based or a urea-choline chloride based ionic liquid has been carried out onto a steel cathode by constant current and constant potential methods at room temperature. The influences of various experimental conditions on electrodeposition and the morphology of the deposited layers have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is shown that very smooth, shiny and dense with good adherence and bright metallic coloured copper coatings can be obtained from both EG and urea based ionic liquids at …


Effect And Interactions Of Commercial Additives And Chloride Ion In Copper Electrowinning, Wenyuan Cui Jan 2014

Effect And Interactions Of Commercial Additives And Chloride Ion In Copper Electrowinning, Wenyuan Cui

Masters Theses

"This thesis is to understand and compare the effects and interactions of modified polysaccharide (HydroStar), polyacrylamide (Cyquest N-900) and chloride ion on copper electrowinning. A study of the nucleation and growth was conducted in a synthetic electrolyte (40 g/L Cu, 160 g/L H₂SO₄, 20 mg/L Cl-) with the addition of HydroStar or Cyquest N-900 using potential step measurements. The current responses generated were compared to theoretical models of nucleation and growth mechanisms. The nucleation and growth mechanism changed as function of potential and the presence of organic additives. The nucleation and growth mechanisms were confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). …


The Influence Of Impurities And Metallic Capping Layers On The Microstructure Of Copper Interconnects, Michael Rizzolo Jan 2014

The Influence Of Impurities And Metallic Capping Layers On The Microstructure Of Copper Interconnects, Michael Rizzolo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

As copper interconnects have scaled to ever smaller dimensions on semiconductor devices, the microstructure has become increasingly detrimental for performance and reliability. Small grains persist in interconnects despite annealing at high temperatures, leading to higher line resistance and more frequent electromigration-induced failures. Conventionally, it was believed that impurities from the electrodeposition pinned grain growth, but limitations in analytical techniques meant the effect was inferred rather than observed.


First Principle Studies Of Cu-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Structures With Emphasis On The Electronic Structures And The Transport Properties, Chengyu Yang Jan 2013

First Principle Studies Of Cu-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Structures With Emphasis On The Electronic Structures And The Transport Properties, Chengyu Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes have been regarded as ideal building blocks for nanoelectronics and multifunctional nanocomposites due to their exceptional strength, stiffness, flexibility, as well as their excellent electrical properties. However, carbon nanotube itself has limitations to fulfill the practical application needs: 1) an individual carbon nanotube has a low density of states at the Fermi level, and thus its conductivity is only comparable to moderate metals but lower than that of copper. 2) Metallic and semiconducting nanotubes are inherently mixed together from the synthesis, and the selection/separation is very difficult with very low efficiency. 3) Carbon nanotubes alone cannot be used …


Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition Of Ruthenium-Titanium Nitride Mixed-Phase Layers For Direct-Plate Liner And Copper Diffusion Barrier Applications, Adam James Gildea Jan 2013

Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition Of Ruthenium-Titanium Nitride Mixed-Phase Layers For Direct-Plate Liner And Copper Diffusion Barrier Applications, Adam James Gildea

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Current interconnect networks in semiconductor processing utilize a sputtered TaN diffusion barrier, Ta liner, and Cu seed to improve the adhesion, microstructure, and electromigration resistance of electrochemically deposited copper that fills interconnect wires and vias. However, as wire/via widths shrink due to device scaling, it becomes increasingly difficult to have the volume of a wire/via be occupied with ECD Cu which increases line resistance and increases the delay in signal propagation in IC chips. A single layer that could serve the purpose of a Cu diffusion barrier and ECD Cu adhesion promoter could allow ECD Cu to occupy a larger …


Ruco To Extend The Scalability Of Ultra-Thin Direct Plate Liners, Daniel Verne Greenslit Jan 2013

Ruco To Extend The Scalability Of Ultra-Thin Direct Plate Liners, Daniel Verne Greenslit

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In traditional semiconductor technology a sputtered copper seed layer is used to improve the adhesion, microstucture, and electromigration characteristics of electrochemically deposited (ECD) copper. The seed layer is deposited on top of a Ta/TaN stack. The Ta layer acts as an adhesion and nucleation layer for the copper seed and the TaN serves as a diffusion barrier for the Cu. As the line widths continue to shrink, scaling each of these layers becomes more difficult. It would be advantageous for the interconnect to be composed of as much copper as possible, transitioning from the traditional liner seed stack to a …


Coating Material Interaction On Metal Substrate By Application Of Plasma Spraying, Ajit Behera Dec 2012

Coating Material Interaction On Metal Substrate By Application Of Plasma Spraying, Ajit Behera

Ajit Behera

In this paper, Fly-ash+quartz+illmenite with weight percentage ratio: 60:20:20, is deposited on mild steel and copper substrates by atmospheric plasma spraying at various operating power level ranging from 11 to 21 kW. The properties of the coating depend on the interaction of coating powder with plasma, operating condition and the process parameters. The coating quality and behavior depends on Coating surface & interface morphology are studied with Scanning Electron Microscope. For Mild Steel the adhesion strength has varied from 3.5MPa to 6.56MPa and for Mild steel a maximum of 6.56MPa at the power level of 21 kW. In plasma spraying, …


Copper Intercalation Into Graphite, Kyle Kalbus Dec 2012

Copper Intercalation Into Graphite, Kyle Kalbus

Theses and Dissertations

An electric brush is necessary for an electric motor to function. The purpose of this thesis is to propose a technique to improve electric brush properties in an effort to produce a more proficient electric motor by creating a new brush material with improved properties and performance. There are many applications for electric motors and each application would benefit from overall, increased proficiency. Understanding the role an electric brush plays within an electric motor is crucial to improving functionality. The proposed technique to create a novel graphite-copper material involves a two-step procedure that will intercalate CuCl2 into the graphite structure, …


Grain Boundaries Structures And Wetting In Doped Silicon, Nickel And Copper, Kaveh Meshinchi Asl May 2012

Grain Boundaries Structures And Wetting In Doped Silicon, Nickel And Copper, Kaveh Meshinchi Asl

All Dissertations

This thesis reports a series of fundamental investigations of grain boundary wetting, adsorption and structural (phases) transitions in doped Ni, Cu and Si with technological relevance to liquid metal embrittlement, liquid metal corrosion and device applications. First, intrinsically ductile metals are prone to catastrophic failure when exposed to certain liquid metals, but the atomic level mechanism for this effect is not fully understood. A nickel sample infused with bismuth atoms was characterized and a bilayer interfacial phase that is the underlying cause of embrittlement was observed. In a second related study, we showed that addition of minor impurities can significantly …


Processing And Characterization Of Plasma Spray Coating By Using Industrial Waste And Low-Grade Ore, Ajit Behera Jan 2012

Processing And Characterization Of Plasma Spray Coating By Using Industrial Waste And Low-Grade Ore, Ajit Behera

Ajit Behera

No abstract provided.


Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition Of Cu Seed Layers At Low Process Temperatures, Jiajun Mao Jan 2012

Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition Of Cu Seed Layers At Low Process Temperatures, Jiajun Mao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In conventional Cu interconnect fabrication, a sputtered copper seed layer is deposited before the electrochemically deposited (ECD) copper plating step. However, as interconnect dimensions scale down, non-conformal seed layer growth and subsequent voiding of metallized structures is becoming a critical issue. With its established excellent thickness controllability and film conformality, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is becoming an attractive deposition approach for the sub-24nm fabrication regime. However, in order to achieve a smooth and continuous seed layer deposition, a low process temperature (below 100oC) is needed, given the tendency of Cu agglomeration at elevated temperature. In this research, plasma enhanced ALD …