Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, Vol.12, No.4, 2363-2367, 1994
Secondary-Ion Mass-Spectrometry Analysis of a 3-Level Metal Structure Using Sample Rotation
Multilevel metal structures are commonly used in submicron semiconductor technology. However, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis of metal films, such as aluminum and titanium, is complicated by degraded depth resolution due to nonuniform sputtering during analysis. The insulating layers used in multilayer structures cause charging problems that add to the difficulty of the analysis. Sample rotation during analysis has been shown in earlier work to improve depth resolution for a single aluminum layer with a dielectric overlayer. Results are presented here for rotational SIMS analysis to a depth exceeding 5 mum for a three-level metal structure with repeating SiO2/TiN/Al/TiN/Ti segments. Data were obtained using oxygen and cesium primary beams with an electron gun for charge neutralization. The results show that all layers can be identified and that both matrix and impurity species can be monitored. The information obtained permitted evaluation of matrix interdiffusion and the detection of contaminants.