This work attempted to implant a Cu catalyst into a TaN (500 Angstrom)/FSG (1200 Angstrom)/Si assembly using a metal vapor vacuum arc ion implanter. The range of the copper dose was between 5.0 x 10(15) and 1.0 x 10(17) cm(-2) and the accelerating voltage ranged from 30 to 50 kV Both blanked and patterned specimens were subsequently deposited with an electroless-plated Cu film. The specimens as a whole were characterized by secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The sheet resistance was measured by a four-point probe. A noticed relationship between SIMS depth profiles and the ion energy was established. The XRD spectra also showed that electroless-plated copper film possessed a strongly characteristic peak of Cu(111) preferred orientation. An excellent gap filling in a 0.2-mum-width (AR 7:1) trench/via was observed by FESEM. The sheet electric resistivity of the specimens was decreased to 1.93 muOmegacm after annealing at 500 degreesC for 1.5 h under an atmosphere of 10%H-2-90%N-2. (C) 2003 American Vacuum Society.