Low temperature copper de-oxidation

The impact of a post deposition annealing step of ECD copper and of a predeposition annealing step on the Cu seed has been investigated. Compared to forming gas it can be demonstrated that the addition of a small amount of ethanol can very effectively reduce the surface and grain boundary oxidation with benefits for the electrical parameters. The impact of a de-oxidation step down to 100/spl deg/C on the Cu seed and its consequences for the ECD Cu growth are presented.