Growth kinetics and thermal stability of a self-formed barrier layer at Cu-Mn/SiO2 interface

A thin diffusion barrier was self-formed by annealing at an interface between a Cu-Mn alloy film and a SiO2 substrate. The growth of the barrier layer followed a logarithmic rate law, which represents field-enhanced growth mechanism in the early stage and self-limiting growth behavior in the late stage. The barrier layer was stable at 450 degrees C for 100 h and at 600 degrees C for 10 h. The interface diffusivity was estimated from the morphology change of the barrier layer at 600 degrees C and was found to be smaller than the grain-boundary diffusivity of bulk Cu. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.