Effects of silicon carbide composition on dielectric barrier Voltage Ramp and TDDB reliability performance

Silicon carbide films containing either nitrogen or oxygen were integrated within a dual-level metal copper interconnect and characterized using Voltage Ramp and TDDB testing. Oxygen containing silicon carbide films were characterized by poor dielectric breakdown properties, but their performance improved with a short soak in ambient at elevated temperatures. This data suggests that oxygen containing silicon carbide films have poor moisture barrier properties. Similar evaluation of nitrogen containing silicon carbide films revealed materials properties that were more similar to those of silicon nitride. TDDB comparison of all three dielectric films is consistent with conclusions from the Voltage Ramp study.