• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.583-588
• /
• 1999

The characteristics of copper thin films and pattern filling capability were investigated by ECD. Prior to deposition of copper film, seed-Cu/Ta(TaN)/$SIO_2$(BPSG)/Si structure was manufactured. Copper deposition was performed with various current waveforms(DC/PC, 1~10,000Hz) and current densities(10~60 mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$) after pretreatment (Oxident removal, wetting) of seed-layer. Conformal pattern filling was performed using PC method with fast deposition rate of 6,000~8,000$\AA$/min. Heat-treated($450^{\circ}C$, 30min) copper films showed good resistivities of 1.8~2.1$\mu$$\Omega$.cm. According to the XRD analysis, (111)-preferred orientation of copper film was found in ECD-Cu/seed-Cu/Ta/$Sio_2$/Si structure. Also, we have successfully achieved to fill via holes with 0.35$\mu\textrm{m}$ width and 4:1 aspect ratio.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.228-232
• /
• 2019

Copper electroplating and electrode patterning using a screen printer are applied instead of lithography for heterostructure with intrinsic thin layer(HIT) silicon solar cells. Samples are patterned on an indium tin oxide(ITO) layer using polymer resist printing. After polymer resist patterning, a Ni seed layer is deposited by sputtering. A Cu electrode is electroplated in a Cu bath consisting of $Cu_2SO_4$ and $H_2SO_4$ at a current density of $10mA/cm^2$. Copper electroplating electrodes using a screen printer are successfully implemented to a line width of about $80{\mu}m$. The contact resistance of the copper electrode is $0.89m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$, measured using the transmission line method(TLM), and the sheet resistance of the copper electrode and ITO are $1{\Omega}/{\square}$ and $40{\Omega}/{\square}$, respectively. In this paper, a screen printer is used to form a solar cell electrode pattern, and a copper electrode is formed by electroplating instead of using a silver electrode to fabricate an efficient solar cell electrode at low cost.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.11
• /
• pp.905-909
• /
• 2011

The formation of front metal contact silicon solar cells is required for low cost, low contact resistance to silicon surfaces. One of the available front metal contacts is Ni/Cu plating, which can be mass produced via asimple and inexpensive process. A selective emitter, meanwhile, involves two different doping levels, with higher doping (${\leq}30{\Omega}/sq$) underneath the grid to achieve good ohmic contact and low doping between the grid in order to minimize the heavy doping effect in the emitter. This study describes the formation of a selective emitter and a nickel silicide seed layer for the front metallization of silicon cells. The contacts were thickened by a plated Ni/Cu two-step metallization process on front contacts. The experimental results showed that the Ni layer via SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and EDX (Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analyses. Finally, a plated Ni/Cu contact solar cell displayed efficiency of 18.10% on a $2{\times}2cm^2$, Cz wafer.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.149-157
• /
• 1993

In the study of TAB(Tape Automated Bonding)technologies, Cu-Cr sputtered seed layer has been used to improve the adhesion between Polyimide and Cu film and electrical properties. But the Cu electrodeposit on Cu-Cr film had poor adhesion or powder-like form due to the surface Cr oxides on the Cu-Cr film. By means of activating the Cu-Cr film with the oxalic acid and phosphoric acid, the Cu film with the improved adhesion could be coated on the Cu-Cr sputtered film in CuSO4 solution. The etching rate was compared with increasing the Cr content of the sputtered Cu-Cr film, and anodic polarization curve in FeCl3 solution was investigated. With increasing the Cr content, the etching rate was reduced. The clean etching cross section could be obtained with increasing the concentration of FeCl3 solution. But above the 13 w/o Cr content, Cu-Cr sputtered film could not bed etched cleanly only with FeCl3 solution and additives were needed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
• /
• 2013.05a
• /
• pp.68-69
• /
• 2013

금속 씨드 층(seed layer)을 직경 $10{\mu}m$, 깊이 $100{\mu}m$, 고종횡비 10:1 비아에 스퍼터링하였다. 금속 씨드 층의 두께는 스퍼터링 시간, 압력, 및 타겟파워를 변화하여 조절하였다. 금속 씨드층 스퍼터링 후 전기도금에 의해 구리 충전을 시도하였다. 비아의 고종횡비가 증가하면 비아 폭이 좁아져 비아의 하부층과 하단 측면 두께는 비아 상부 측면 두께만큼 충분하지 않아 문제가 될 수 있다. 스퍼터링 조건을 최적화 함으로써 씨드층의 특성을 높이고, 비아 홀 지름의 감소 속도를 줄일 수 있었다. 종래의 스퍼터링 방식을 이용하여 비아 입구의 opening percentage를 약 64%로 하고, 하부 씨드층 두께가 46.7 nm 인 금속 씨드층을 형성할 수 있었다. 이 씨드층 상에 전기도금으로 Cu filling을 성공적으로 할 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2017

This study investigated the effect of surface pretreatment, which removes native Cu oxides on Cu seed layer, on subsequent Cu electro-/electroless deposition in Cu interconnection. The native Cu oxides were removed by using citric acid-based solution frequently used in Cu chemical mechanical polishing process and the selective Cu oxide removal was successfully achieved by controlling the solution composition. The characterization of electro-/electrolessly deposited Cu films after the oxide removal was then performed in terms of film resistivity, surface roughness, etc. It was observed that the lowest film resistivity and surface roughness were obtained from the substrate whose native Cu oxides were selectively removed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2009.11a
• /
• pp.260-260
• /
• 2009

In high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cell, If high-efficiency solar cells are to be commercialized, It is need to develop superior contact formation method and material that can be inexpensive and simple without degradation of the solar cells ability. For reason of plated metallic contact is not only high metallic purity but also inexpensive manufacture. It is available to apply mass production. Especially, Nickel, Copper are applied widely in various electronic manufactures as easily formation is available by plating. Ni is shown to be a suitable barrier to Cu diffusin as well as desirable contact metal to silicon. Nickel monosilicide has been suggested as a suitable silicide due to its lower resistivitym lower sintering temperature and lower layer stress than $TiSi_2$. In this paper, Nickel as a seed layer and diffusion barrier is plated by electroless plating to make nickel monosilicide.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.509-515
• /
• 2007

In order to fabricate adhesiveless 2-layer flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) used for COF (chip on film) with high peel strength, polyimide (PI; Kapton-EN, $38\;{\mu}m$) surface was modified by reactive $O_2^+$ and $N_2O^+$ ion beam irradiation. 300 mm-long linear electron-Hall drift ion source was used for ion irradiation with ion current density (J) higher than $0.5\;mA/cm^2$ and energy lower than 200 eV. By vacuum web coating process, PI surface was modified by linear ion source and then 10-20 nm thick Ni-Cr and 200 nm thick Cu film were in-situ sputtered as a tie layer and seed layer, respectively. Above this sputtered layer, another $8-9{\mu}m$ thick Cu layer was grown by electroplating and subsequently acid and base resistance and thermal stability were tested for examining the change of peel strength. Peel strength for the FCCLs treated by both $O_2^+$ and $N_2O^+$ ion irradiation showed similar magnitudes and increased as the thickness of tie layer increased. FCCL with Cu (200 nm)/Ni-Cr (20 nm)/PI structure irradiated with $N_2O^+$ at $1{\times}10^{16}/cm^2$ ion fluence was proved to have a strong peel strength of 0.73 kgf/cm for as-received and 0.34 kgf/cm after thermal test.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.20-26
• /
• 2001

The deposition characteristics of MOCVO Cu using the (hfac)Cu(I) (1,5-DMCOD)(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionato Cu(I) 1,5-dimethyl-cyclooctadine) as a precursor have been investigated in terms of the effects of hydrogen and H(hfac) ligand addition with He carrier gas. MOCVD Cu using a Helium carrier gas showed a low deposition rate (20~$125{\AA}/min$) at the substrate temperature range of 180~$230^{\circ}C$. Moreover, the Cu film deposited at 19$0^{\circ}C$ was very thin (~$700{\AA}$) and showed the lowest resistivity value of $2.8{\mu}{\Omega}-cm$. The deposition rate of MOCVD Cu using $H_2$or H(hfac) addition was significantly enhanced especially at the low temperature region (180~$190^{\circ}C$). Furthermore, thinner Cu films (~$500{\AA}$) provided low resistivity (3.6~$2.86{\mu}{\Omega}-cm$). From surface reflectance measurement, very thin films deposited by using different gas system revealed good surface morphology comparable with sputtered Cu film ($300^{\circ}C$, vacuum-anneal). Hence, Cu film using (hfac)Cu(1,5-DMCOD) as a precursor is expected as a good seed layer in the electrochemical deposition process for Cu metallization.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.103-109
• /
• 2011

The process optimization was carried out to improve the throwing power (TP) and the thickness uniformity of the electroless copper (Cu) plating, which plays a seed layer for the subsequent electroplating. The DOE (design of experiment) was employed to screen key factors out of all available operation parameters to influence the TP and thickness uniformity the most. It turned out that higher Cu ion concentration and lower plating temperature are advantageous to accomplish uniform via filling and they are accounted for based on the surface reactivity. To visualize what occurred experimentally and evaluate the phenomena qualitatively, the kinetic Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was introduced. The combination of neatly designed experiments by DOE and supporting theoretical simulation is believed to be inspiring in solving similar kinds of problems in the relevant field.