Copper wetting of two-dimensional silicates: robust barriers for interconnect applications

A critical issue in Cu/low-k integration is the wetting and adhesion of Cu to the barrier substrate. The data reported here demonstrate that the oxidation of a thin Ta film on SiO/sub 2/ results in the formation of a thin (/spl sim/6 /spl Aring/) silicate-like film which displays excellent wettability towards Cu at 300 K.