Thermal Stability of Self-Assembled 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane Diffusion Barrier Terminated by Carboxyl Groups

The carboxyl-terminated 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) diffusion barrier was prepared onto a Si substrate via molecular self-assembly and graft modification technology. The SAM was afterward coated with a copper film via radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. In order to study the thermal stability of the diffusion barrier, the sample was subsequently annealed for 60 min in an Ar environment at the temperatures of 350 degrees C, 400 degrees C, 450 degrees C, 500 degrees C, and 550 degrees C. The results revealed that carboxyl modification enabled one to increase the barrier breakdown temperature of the APTMS diffusion barrier layer by about 100 degrees C, which was sufficient to effectively inhibit the copper diffusion at 500 degrees C.

Automated summary

In this study, a carboxyl-modified 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane diffusion barrier was prepared using molecular self-assembly and graft modification technology. The barrier was coated with a copper film using RF magnetron sputtering. The results showed that carboxyl modification increased the thermal stability of the diffusion barrier, effectively inhibiting copper diffusion at high temperatures.