Evaluation of carbon-doped low-k multilayer structure by nanoindentation

Fujikane, Masaki; Nagao, Shijo; Liu, X.W.; Chrobak, D.; Lehto, A.; Yamanaka, Stacey A.; Nowak, Roman

doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2006.10.089

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(58 reference statements)

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“…The measured hardness increases with increasing indentation depth. The "u-shaped" profile observed here is typically observed in the mechanical properties of lowdielectric-constant films [15,16]. The First region is due probably at a cap layer formed on the surface by the natural oxidation; the second region shows the effect of the Si substrate.…”

Section: B Hardnesssupporting

confidence: 52%

Vickers microhardness of oxidized and nonoxidized porous silicon

Rahmoun¹,

Iost²,

Kéryvin³

et al. 2014

2014 North African Workshop on Dielectic Materials for Photovoltaic Systems (NAWDMPV)

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In this work we present our recent investigation on characterizing mechanical properties of porous silicon (PS) by using instrumented micro-indentation. Hardness and elastic modulus for oxidized and nonoxidized PS were measured. Experimental results revealed that hardness and elastic modulus are significantly lower than that of silicon substrate and decrease with increasing porosities. After oxidation an increase of the hardness and elastic modulus were observed. The task of stabilization of PS mechanical parameters can be solved with the help of oxidation.

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Section: B Hardnesssupporting

confidence: 52%

Vickers microhardness of oxidized and nonoxidized porous silicon

Rahmoun¹,

Iost²,

Kéryvin³

et al. 2014

2014 North African Workshop on Dielectic Materials for Photovoltaic Systems (NAWDMPV)

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“…Region I displays abnormal hardness behaviour with increasing hardness as the displacement (and therefore the applied load) increases. Region I is generally associated with a hard and thin cap layer that exists on the top of low-k films [5]. For the specimen under study, this is mainly associated to oxidation and some impurities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This figure also shows that the test is reproducible in the loading part of the indentation process used to calculate the Martens hardness. These pop-ins are expected to operate through the bursting of dislocations in Si substrate [25], the breaking of the top layer (as in carbon-doped low-k materials) [5], crack initiation around the pores, connection to each other and continuous propagation along the pores (as in porous SiO 2 ) [7], phase transformation in the silicon substrate [26,27] or the crumbling of the PS cellular structure [27].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The harder the film, the higher the difference between the minimum and the true hardness for the I-layer. Some authors [5,28,29] have recently claimed that the cube corner tip is more appropriate than that of Berkovich (or Vickers) to determine the hardness of the coating. This observation is in agreement with the data reported in Table 1 for various indenter shapes: as coefficient C′ is higher for the cube-corner tip than for the Vickers (or Berkovich), the substrate effect starts at much deeper indentation depths.…”

Section: Multilayer Model With Crumbling Assumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mechanical properties of the porous layers decrease because of porosity, the presence of weak bonds, and the extensive number of traps, voids and mobile ions [5]. However, for device processing and design purposes, information about the mechanical properties is also required.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A multilayer model for describing hardness variations of aged porous silicon low-dielectric-constant thin films

et al. 2009

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International audienceThis paper reports on the micro-instrumented indentation of a porous silicon structure obtained by anodization of a highly p(+)-doped (100) silicon substrate aged over 1 week. The three-layer structure obtained consists of oxidized porous silicon (cap-layer), porous silicon (inner-layer) and silicon substrate. The hardness curve has the typical "U shape" of low-dielectric-constant films when the indentation depth rises: the early decrease in hardness, due to the soft inner layer, is followed by an increase, due to the hard substrate. A multilayer model is developed to account for hardness variation with respect to the applied load. This model considers the crumbling of the cap-layer and of the inner porous structure. As a result, it is shown that considering the minima in the U shape gives an over-estimated value when it comes to assessing the coating hardness. in our experiment, this minimum depends on both the hardness and the thickness of the but not on the mechanical properties of the substrate, even for indentation depths slightly oxidized cap layer, lower than the film's thickness. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

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Evidence of Plasticity‐Driven Conductivity Drop in an Ultra‐Low‐k Dielectric Organosilicate Glass

Rusinowicz

Volpi

Parry

et al. 2022

Adv Funct Materials

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Advanced devices (for microelectronics, energy storage, power sourcing) are complex architectures of metals and dielectrics subjected to harsh mechanical stresses. The functional reliability of the embedded dielectrics is driven by their ability to preserve their electrical properties (such as leakage and breakdown). Accordingly, understanding the interplay between the mechanical and electrical behaviors of dielectric films is critical to predict the lifetime of functional devices. In this study, the effect of plastic deformation on the electrical conduction of an ultra‐low‐k dielectric film is elucidated by combining in situ advanced experiments and finite element modeling. Experimentally, “electrical‐nanoindentation” tests emphasize the strong correlation between electrical and mechanical failures (leakage degradation, breakdown, plasticity, cracking). These experiments also reveal a counterintuitive electrical conduction drop under high mechanical stresses. This phenomenon is reproduced numerically by correcting the Poole–Frenkel conduction law with a strain‐dependent factor, and described analytically in terms of space‐charge build‐up induced by the trapping of holes at the mechanically generated defects. A threshold strain is identified as the keystone relating this strain‐dependent conduction to the current line distribution within the dielectric. This study provides a new understanding of the mechanical/electrical couplings in dielectrics, which opens promising insights into reliability issues for advanced devices.

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Evaluation of carbon-doped low-k multilayer structure by nanoindentation

Cited by 11 publications

References 33 publications

Vickers microhardness of oxidized and nonoxidized porous silicon

Vickers microhardness of oxidized and nonoxidized porous silicon

A multilayer model for describing hardness variations of aged porous silicon low-dielectric-constant thin films

Evidence of Plasticity‐Driven Conductivity Drop in an Ultra‐Low‐k Dielectric Organosilicate Glass

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