Method of determining barrier layer effectiveness for preventing metallization diffusion by forming a test specimen device and using a metal penetration measurement technique for fabricating a production semiconductor device and a test specimen device thereby formed

A method of determining the effectiveness of a diffusion barrier layer using a test specimen for fabricating at least one production semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a semiconductor substrate for forming a test specimen;
• (b) forming an insulating dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate;
• (c) forming a diffusion barrier layer on the insulating dielectric layer, said step (c) comprising at least one barrier layer deposition parameter;
• (d) forming a metallized blanket layer on the diffusion barrier layer;
• (e) treating the blanket layer with at least one technique selected from a group consisting essentially of:
• (1) heating the blanket layer;
• and
• (2) applying a voltage bias to the blanket layer, for instigating the metal penetration through the barrier layer and the insulating dielectric layer, thereby forming the test specimen;
• (f) measuring the metal penetration from the metallized blanket layer through the diffusion barrier layer, through the insulating dielectric layer, and into the semiconductor substrate of the test specimen by:
• (1) stripping at least one portion of the insulating dielectric layer, at least one portion of the diffusion barrier layer, and at least one portion of the blanket layer, thereby exposing at least one portion of the semiconductor substrate surface;
• and
• (2) examining the exposed at least one portion of the semiconductor substrate surface for the metal penetration, thereby obtaining metal penetration measurement data corresponding to the at least one barrier layer deposition parameter;
• (g) analyzing whether the metal penetration measurement data is within a given tolerance (i.e., de minimis), and, if within the given tolerance, by proceeding to step (h), else adjusting the at least one barrier layer deposition parameter and returning to said step (a);
• and
• (h) fabricating at least one production semiconductor device using the at least one barrier layer deposition parameter,
• wherein the step (c) comprises forming the barrier layer comprising a continuous barrier layer,
• wherein the step (c) comprises forming the barrier layer by a technique selected from a group consisting essentially of chemical-vapor-deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), and
• wherein the step (f)(2) comprises the examining step being performed by at least one technique selected from a group consisting essentially of a visual inspection, an e-beam imaging technique, a quantitative surface analytical technique, a mass spectroscopy, an x-ray emission technique, an electron spectroscopic surface profiling, and a neutron activation analysis.

A semiconductor test specimen device having an effective diffusion barrier layer, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• an insulating dielectric layer formed on the semiconductor substrate;
• an effective diffusion barrier layer formed on the insulating dielectric layer;
• a metallized blanket layer formed on the effective diffusion barrier layer,
• the blanket layer comprising a treatment with at least one technique selected from a group consisting essentially of heating the blanket layer and applying a voltage bias to the blanket layer for instigating a metal penetration through the effective barrier layer and the insulating dielectric layer, and
• the substrate comprising the metal penetration for facilitating measurement and analysis for fabricating at least one production semiconductor device.