Carmelo Magro

Surface Characterization of the Al/Si‐Ti/W Metallization after Chlorinated Plasma Treatments

Multilayer metallizations play a very important role as interconnection systems in the VLSI technology. Here, to realize etching with good dimensional control and vertical profile, plasma etchers (of the RIE type) are used. The complexity of the chemistry involved in this plasma etching is such that it may give rise to some undesirable secondary effects. The object of this work is the surface characterization, by means of XPS, SEM, and EDAX techniques, of the Al/Si-Ti/W system after plasma etching. The chemical modifications induced by various plasma treatments of the metal films have been followed by means of the above techniques. Such modifications are dependent either on the etch chemistry used or on the substrate chemical species exposed to the plasma

Xps Study of the Interface of Polyimide on Cr and Ni.

The paper presents a study of three polyimide-oxide interfaces. The Cr-oxide-PI interface seems to undergo a drastic topographical structural rearrangement. The case of the Ni surface is indicative of heavy decomposition of the Ni oxide which induces the decomposition of the polymer film. On the contrary the stabilized Ni surface behaves in a normal manner indicating that the driving force for the decomposition is the instability of the oxide.

Method of preventing superficial electrical discharges in chips of semiconductor devices during testing

The method consists of subjecting the semiconductor chips to chemical treatment with a silanizing agent immediately before testing to prevent superficial electrical discharges which can reduce the testing voltage which can be applied.