A Study of Copper Segregation in Sputtered Al-Si-Cu Films Using Auger Electron Spectroscopy

A study has been made, using Auger Electron Spectroscopy AES, of copper copper segregation in Aluminium Silicon Copper films processed in the Silicon Processing and Evaluation Laboratory SPEL. The AES technique and its interpretation are briefly discussed. A description of the Auger Spectrometer and experimental details are also provided. The effects of variations in layer thickness and annealing temperatures on the interface between the Al-Si-Cu and the silicon substrate were studied. Results obtained from other samples from British Telecom research laboratories, and alternative analysis methods such as Rutherford Backscattering RBS are also discussed and conclusions drawn as to the nature of this segregation.