Sputtering target, Al wiring film and electronic component

Abstract

A sputtering target consists essentially of 0.1 to 50% by weight of at least one kind of element that forms an intermetallic compound with Al, and the balance of Al. The element that forms an intermetallic compound with Al is uniformly dispersed in the target texture, and in a mapping of EPMA analysis, a portion of which count number of detection sensitivity of the element is 22 or more is less than 60% by area ratio in a measurement area of 20×20 μm. According to such a sputtering target, even when a sputtering method such as long throw sputtering or reflow sputtering is applied, giant dusts or large concavities can be suppressed in occurrence.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a sputtering target suitable for formation of wiring of low resistance, an Al wiring film using the same, and electronic components comprising the Al wiring film such as semiconductor elements, liquid crystal display devices, surface acoustic wave devices or the like. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Recently, semiconductor industry typical in LSI is rapidly advancing. In semiconductor elements such as DRAMs, as higher integration and reliability advance, accuracy required for fine machining is also getting higher and higher. Further, for also sputtering targets being employed in forming wiring or the like, a more homogeneous metallic layer is demanded to form. [0003] Among various kinds of metals for formation of the wiring, aluminum (Al) is attracting attention as formation material of low resistance wiring. Al is also expected as a wiring film being used as gate lines and signal lines of a TFT drive type liquid crystal display device (...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The solution significantly improves the yield and quality of Al wiring films by reducing defects and ensuring high denseness and orientation, while maintaining low resistance and excellent hillock resistance, thus enhancing the reliability of electronic components.

Problems solved by technology

Such protrusions, when generated in the Al wiring, adversely affect on the later process to cause problems.

Now, as higher integration, higher reliability and higher functionality of electronic devices such as semiconductor elements proceed, the structure thereof has become more complicated.

Since such sputtering films are difficult to obtain by use of the existing general sputtering methods, new sputtering methods such as long throw sputtering or reflow sputtering are being adopted.

In sputtering by the general sputtering method, when segregation or internal defect exists in a target, dust or splash may occur due to an extraordinary electric discharge or the like.

These cause defects during formation of DRAMs or TFT elements.

Further, in the long throw sputtering or reflow sputtering, there occur a problem that concavities or holes of relatively larger size occur in the sputtering films.

Accordingly, the yield of electronic devices such as DRAMs or TFT elements is deteriorated.

The existing dust preventive measure can not prevent the aforementioned giant dust particles or relatively large size concavities from occurring.

However, there is a problem that a generated intermetallic compound can adversely affect on etching property of the Al wiring.

This is largely detrimental in forming the fine wiring network.

The new defect modes occur in particular, when the new sputtering methods such as long throw sputtering or reflow sputtering are employed.