An Analysis by Scanning Acoustic Microscopy of the Mechanical Stability of PSG and Si₃N₄ Passivation Films

Abstract

Two types of mechanical tests associated with acoustic microscopy characterizations were performed to investigate the mechanical stability of PSG and Si3N4 passivation films. An in situ tensile test micro-device was installed under a scanning acoustic microscope to study the damage development in the passivation films deposited on A1,1%Si substrates. The analysis of the attenuation of the acoustic signature of the film/substrate systems and the variations of the leaky surface acoustic wave velocity permitted detection of the cracking and decohesion of the passivation films. The four-point bending test was used to submit passivated aluminum multilayers deposited on silicon substrates to cyclic compression. Then subsurface acoustic images revealed decohered zones in the passivation.