Cu films prepared by bipolar pulsed high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Bipolar pulse High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) based on conventional HiPIMS is put forward to deposit Cu films on silicon wafers. Positive kick pulses with different pulse width and magnitude are applied after the initial negative pulse to drive Cu ions to the substrate, improving the properties of Cu films. Compared to films deposited by conventional HiPIMS, the Cu films prepared by modified HiPIMS exhibit a higher deposition rate. And the increase in voltage and pulse width of kick pulse results in a reduction of tensile stress of the Cu films. The bipolar pulse HiPIMS has potential applications in Cu metallization for semiconductor processing and other applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.