Grain nucleation and texture analysis of electroless copper deposition on a palladium seed layer

Electroless copper grains were deposited on a Pd seed layer under varying bath conditions. The seed layer was determined to have a (Ill)texture using grazing incident x-ray (GM) diffraction. Multiple nucleation sites in the grain boundaries were imaged using a scanning tunneling microscope. Continual copper growth produced row-like structures. The texture of the electrolessly deposited copper (ED-Cu) grains were determined to be (111). No radial grain orientation for the Pd seed layer or the ED-Cu thin film was detected using GM diffraction. Atomic force microscope images indicated continual Cu nucleation throughout the deposition process. PdH was formed as a by-product of the electroless deposition process, and detected by x-ray diffraction.