Patent ID: 6365482
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method of stabilizing thin film structures on an integrated circuit (I.C.) substrate, comprising the steps of:sputtering a thin film material onto an I.C. substrate, said thin film material selected from a group consisting of silicon-chromium (SiCr) and silicon chromium carbide (SiCrC), annealing the thin film material via rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 25-35 Torr such that said thin film material's sheet rho and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) are substantially unchanged by said RTA step, said RTA stabilizing said thin film material and thereby enabling the integrity, sheet rho and TCR of said material to be maintained when subjected to subsequent high temperature process steps, and masking and etching said annealed thin film material to define individual thin film structures.