Development of Low-Resistance Interconnect via Direct Graphene Growth at Low Temperature

Abstract: (Abstract) Although high-quality graphene film can be produced on specific catalyst metals, their practical applications, especially Si technologies, are limited by the high temperature growth and post-transfer process. We realized a high performance system composed of W/nanocrystalline graphene(nc-G)/TiN for the long-term downscaling of interconnect technology. The nc-G was directly grown on non-catalytic substrates, up to 300 mm in diameter, at a low temperature of ~560 °C, which is below the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor integration temperature. Furthermore, we demonstrated versatile roles of nc-G in interconnect structure (1) as a promoter for preferential grain growth of W layer, (2) as a diffusion barrier against for metal-silicide formation, and (3) as a proper adhesion layer with adjacent layers. Overall, a significant reduction in the resistance of the interconnect is achieved by insertion of nc-G between W and Si. This work points to the possibility of practical graphene applications via direct nc-G growth that is compatible with current Si technology.