Abstract
The reactions of $Cu/Ti/SiO_2$ structures at temperatures ranging from 200 to $700^{\circ}C$ have been studied for various Ti thicknesses. The reaction products initially formed, at around $300^{\circ}C$, were a series of Cu-Ti intermetallics ($Cu_3$Ti/CuTi) with the oxygen dissolved in the Ti moving from the compounds into the remaining unreacted Ti. At $500^{\circ}C$, the $Cu_3$Ti was converted into Cu-rich intermetallics, $Cu_4$Ti, which grew at the expense of the CuTi due to the increased oxygen content in the Ti. In addition, the outdiffusion of Ti, to the Cu surface, and the $Ti-SiO_2$ reactions, caused an abrupt increase in the oxygen content in the Ti layer, which placed thermodynamic restraints on further Ti reactions. Furthermore, thinner Ti layers showed a higher increasing rate of oxygen accumulation for the same consumption of Ti, which led to significantly reduced Ti consumption. The $SiO_2$ film under the Ti diffusion barrier was more easily destroyed with increasing Ti thickness.
