Ruthenium Sputtering Target Silicon Grain Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Highly purified ruthenium materials used in sputtering targets promote crystal growth, leading to coarse crystal grains that cause abnormal discharge (arcing) and increase particle generation during sputtering, affecting the yield and stability of semiconductor products.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a trace amount of silicon (Si) into ruthenium or ruthenium alloy sputtering targets, with Si content between 10 to 100 wtppm, to suppress crystal grain coarsening and maintain high purity, thereby reducing arcing and particle generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ruthenium material is highly purified, then purity is improved, but crystal grain coarsening is promoted
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameter by adding silicon (1-100 wtppm) to the highly purified ruthenium material. This compositional modification suppresses crystal grain coarsening during the sputtering process, allowing the material to maintain both high purity (99.99% or higher) and fine crystal grain structure simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system by combining highly purified ruthenium with a small amount of silicon additive. This composite structure prevents the harmful crystal grain coarsening that occurs in pure ruthenium, while maintaining the high purity requirements for semiconductor applications
2Stability of the object's composition
If coarse crystal grains are formed, then crystal growth is promoted, but arcing is increased
Solution Approach 1:
By adding silicon (1-100 wtppm) to the ruthenium material, the invention modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the sputtering process. This compositional change suppresses abnormal crystal grain coarsening and stabilizes the discharge characteristics, thereby reducing or eliminating arcing during sputtering while maintaining controlled crystal growth
3Quantity of substance
If coarse crystal grains exist, then particle generation is increased, but yield is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The addition of silicon (1-100 wtppm) to highly purified ruthenium changes the material parameters to suppress particle generation from coarse crystal grains. This modification reduces particle contamination during sputtering, thereby improving the yield of semiconductor products while maintaining controlled crystal growth
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The inclusion of silicon effectively inhibits crystal grain coarsening, preventing arcing and reducing particle generation, enabling stable sputtering and the deposition of films with fewer defects, thus improving the yield and stability of semiconductor devices.
Implementation Method 1
the coarsening of the crystal grains can be suppressed by including a trace amount of silicon (Si) in ruthenium or ruthenium alloy
Implementation Method 2
the sputtering method is often used for forming a ruthenium thin film
Data Source
AI summary
A ruthenium sputtering target, wherein a Si content is 10 to 100 wtppm, a total content of unavoidable impurities excluding gas components is 50 wtppm or less, and a remainder is Ru. By suppressing the crystal growth of ruthenium or a ruthenium alloy and reducing the generation of coarse crystal grains, arcing that occurs during sputtering is minimized, particle generation is reduced, and yield is improved.