We investigated diffusion barrier performance of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) TiN films prepared using tetrakis-dimethyl-amino titanium, Ti[N(CH3)(2)](4), to copper in the Cu/TiN/Si structure. The in situ treatment of the TiN films using N-2/H-2 plasma was found to significantly improve barrier performance against copper diffusion. The plasma-treated TiN films were stable up to 650 degrees C but as-deposited TiN films showed an evidence of copper diffusion into silicon even after annealing of 550 degrees C. The causes of the different effectiveness as a copper diffusion barrier of the two types of the CVD TiN films were discussed. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.