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Ultra Thin Cermet Resistor

Films Deposited by DC
Magnetron Sputtering
Conference Paper November 2009
DOI: 10.13140/2.1.3457.3122

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Valery Felmetsger
OEM Group
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Ultra Thin Cermet Resistor Films Deposited by DC Magnetron Sputtering

V. V. Felmetsger
Tegal Corporation, 51 Daggett Drive, San Jose, CA 95134, U.S.A.
High value (> 1000 /) thinfilm resistors having a low temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) are required for passive electronic
componentsandintegratedcircuits.Inthisproject,nanoscale(2 40nm)cermetresistorfilmsweredepositedonoxidizedSi wafers bya dual
cathode dc SGun magnetron with CrSi2CrSiC targets. It was shown that dc sputtering processes at elevated temperature with ion
bombardmentandpostdepositionthermaltreatmentresultedintheformationof2.5 4nmthickfilmswithsheetresistancesrangingfrom1800
to 1200 / and TCR values from 50 ppm/C to near zero, respectively. A mechanism responsible for the high efficiency of annealing the
cermetfilmsinvacuumafterpreliminaryexposuretoair,resultinginresistancestabilizationandTCRreduction,isdiscussed.

TFThP1
1

Introduction

Sheet resistance of SiCr films

Surface morphology (AFM and SEM)

9In the present work, an opportunity to produce

higher value (1200 1800 /) thin-film cermet
resistors with near zero TCR by reducing the
film thickness to a nanoscale range is
investigated.
HEATER P/S

Composition (EDS and quantitative EELS analyses)

1. Atomic ratio of Si to Cr is about 2 : 1.

9Cermet materials comprising solid solutions of

metal particles in a dielectric or semiconductor
matrix enable the production of high value thin-film
resistors.
9Resistance of Si-Cr cermets may be increased by
reducing the ratio of metal phase to semiconductor
phase in the composite. But high resistance values
are accompanied with high negative TCR.

2 nm thin film is already

continuous but contains
microvoids. Rrms = 0.17 nm.

Resistance irreversibility of the SiCr

film deposited at ambient temperature.

40 nm film has fine structure

without defects visible by
SEM. Rrms = 0.22 nm.

Deposition at 350C with rf bias and

anneal in vacuum ensures complete
stabilization of the film resistance.

Sheet resistance of SiCr nanofilms is

inversely proportional to the film thickness.

Microstructure (HR-TEM)

2. Carbon concentration is constant across the film.

3. Both films contain oxygen, mostly in the interface
region within the darker contrasted layer adjacent
to the substrate.
This darker contrasted layer is thought to be enriched with chromium oxide phases appearing as a
result of interaction between Cr and silicon dioxide due to ion bombardment during SiCr deposition
with rf bias.

Intrinsic stress

Temperature coefficient of resistance

SAD shows that both 40 nm thick films deposited at (a) ambient and (b)
elevated temperatures are amorphous. The heated film has a fine texturing
representing some short-range order in the film.

WAFER

Stress in (a) 4 nm and (b) 40 nm thick SiCr films.

As-deposited films have compressive stress

generated by atomic peening mechanism.
Compressive stress is increased in the thinner
film during exposure to air due to penetration
of atmospheric gases into microvoids.
Annealing in vacuum increases the tensile
component due to film densification. A
decreased concentration of microdefects,
combined with structural densification during
annealing, leads to a reduction in the film
resistance and TCR.

RF BIAS P/S

CATHODE #1 P/S
CATHODE #2 P/S
ANODE P/S

SchematicdiagramoftheSGunmagnetron.

Sheet resistance and TCR as a

function of the SiCr film thickness.
The thinner film, the higher its
negative TCR. Films thicker than 2.5
nm exhibit relatively low TCR < -50
ppm/C.

Sheet resistance of SiCr film as a

function of temperature. Films deposited
at room T have high negative TCR. A
double annealing in vacuum enabled
reaching low positive TCR.

8
Conclusion: Thin SiCr films deposited at ambient temperature have unstable sheet resistance and relatively high negative TCR,
while films deposited at elevated temperature, especially with post-deposition double annealing in vacuum, exhibit stable resistance and low TCR,
which can be adjusted to near-zero value by optimizing heat duration. Data from compositional analyses suggest that both no-heat and heated
films are fairly similar. Hence, it is reasonable to suppose that differences between unstable and stabilized SiCr films may be due to fine structural
features representing short-range order in these amorphous films as revealed by HR-TEM analysis. Conjecturally, film densification leading to a
reduction of the distance between metallic clusters embedded in the ceramic matrix is responsible for reducing TCR in the annealed cermet films.
High efficiency of annealing in vacuum the cermet films after preliminary exposure to air for resistance stabilization and TCR reduction can be
explained by passivating open chemical bonds on the surface of the conductive clusters enabling the cermet film to become more stable to
atmospheric corrosion, whilst such encapsulated clusters still remain transparent for electron tunneling, which ensures low TCR.