Germanium Sublayer Improves Corrosion Resistance of Ultrathin Copper Films
Analysis
Key Takeaways
- •Ultrathin copper films corrode over time, following a parabolic oxidation law.
- •A germanium sublayer significantly improves the corrosion resistance of copper films.
- •The improved resistance is attributed to germanium redistribution during copper film growth.
- •Cu/Ge/SiO2 films are suggested as a cheaper alternative to gold in EMI protection.
“The $R$ and $ρ$ of $Cu/Ge/SiO_2$ films were found to degrade much more slowly than similar characteristics of $Cu/SiO_2$ films of the same thickness.”