Electroless silver and silver with tungsten thin films for microelectronics and microelectromechanical system applications

Yosi Shacham-Diamand, Alexandra Inberg, Yelena Sverdlov, Nathan Croitoru

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study we present the results of electroless deposition of silver (Ag) and silver tungsten [Ag(W)] layers on Si, intended for application in microelectronics and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Silver has excellent resistivity but its thin-film properties and its vulnerability to corrosion may cause a problem. In this work we present a novel Ag(W) type of layer that has improved thin-film properties, such as resistivity and surface roughness, and can serve as both barrier layer and capping layer for corrosion protection of the Ag thin films. The thin-film composition was studied as a function of the deposition parameters. We found the presence of tungsten, up to 3.1 atom %, and oxygen, up to 8 atom %, in addition to the silver atoms. We also studied the thin-film morphology using atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy imaging of the surface after each process step. Finally, we discuss the possible mechanisms for the deposition of Ag(W).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3345-3349
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of the Electrochemical Society
Volume147
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2000

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