There is much interest in direct seedless electrodeposition of copper onto thin resistive barrier layers, such as ruthenium. Removing the need for a copper seed layer is a critical step toward reaching the goal of submicron feature sizes, where copper seed layers have led to the development of defects and voids. In order for deposition onto a barrier layer to be feasible, the barrier layer must prevent copper diffusion into the dielectric, act as an adhesion layer for the copper, and be conductive. Ruthenium meets these requirements due to its low resistivity and capacity for preventing copper diffusion.

In addition to direct deposition onto barrier layers, the influence of electrodeposition solution additives on copper nucleation and growth morphology on resistive electrodes is not well understood. As device dimensions decrease, the role of solution additives on copper metallization, specifically nucleation and nucleation cluster density, will become increasingly important.

Copper electrodeposition experiments on resistive ruthenium electrodes were performed for understanding the chemistry of the additives and their effect on copper nucleation. Results of these experiments provide information about the dependence relationship of nucleation density on the nucleation mechanism, nuclei growth, plating solution additive concentrations, and operating conditions. The solution additive chemistry information gained from these first experiments will be utilized in computational tools to predict the growth of thin copper films on novel barrier layers. The results obtained from the computational tools will assist in the design of nucleation and overgrowth experiments leading to thin film formation. The impact of this research will be the ability to “tune” the additive chemistry to achieve high nucleation density and rapid lateral growth and coalescence, as well as provide valuable experimental information to validate simulation tools developed by research group members.

I have a strong history of classroom teaching in Chemical Engineering, General Engineering, and high school chemistry. I have a genuine passion for teaching and am highly committed to education. My teaching experience combined with my research experience in microelectronics, electrochemistry, and materials makes me feel confident in my ability to teach a variety of Chemical Engineering courses.