Fabrication of Metal/Graphene Hybrid Interconnects by Direct Graphene Growth and Their Integration Properties

Abstract

Abstract Although high‐quality graphene can be produced on catalyst metals, their practical applications, especially Si technologies, are limited by the high‐temperature growth and the posttransfer process. A high‐performance system composed of W/nanocrystalline graphene (nc‐G)/TiN is realized for the long‐term downscaling of interconnect technology. The nc‐G is directly grown on noncatalytic TiN, up to 300 mm in diameter, at a low temperature of ≈560 °C, which is below the complementary metal‐oxide semiconductor integration temperature. The versatile roles of nc‐G in the interconnect are demonstrated: as a promoter of the preferential grain growth of the W layer, as a diffusion barrier to metal‐silicide formation, and as a proper adhesion layer with adjacent layers. Overall, a significant reduction (27%) in the resistance of the interconnect is achieved by the insertion of nc‐G between W and TiN. This work points to the possibility of practical graphene applications via direct nc‐G growth that is compatible with current Si technology.