Micron-sized fracture experiments on amorphous SiOx films and SiOx/SiNx multi-layers

Matoy, Kurt; Schönherr, Helmut; Detzel, Thomas; Dehm, Gerhard

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2010.05.114

Cited by 21 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…24,25,148 Similar to low-k ILDs, low-k DB materials also exhibit reduce mechanical properties relative to the PECVD a-SiN:H films originally employed. However, the reduction in mechanical properties has not been as severe with reported Young's moduli and fracture toughness values of 40- [170][171][172] reported for PECVD a-SiN:H, the low-k DB mechanical property reduction is fairly modest. Also as the reduced values for low-k DB materials are substantially higher than those for low-k ILD materials, there has been generally less concern for these properties when considering new low-k DBs.…”

Section: -122mentioning

confidence: 50%

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

King

2014

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

131

115

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Over the past decade, the primary focus for improving the performance of nano-electronic metal interconnect structures has been to reduce the impact of resistance-capacitance (RC) delays via utilizing insulating dielectrics with ever lower values of dielectric permittivity. The integration and implementation of such low dielectric constant (i.e. low-k) materials has been fraught with numerous challenges. For intermetal and interlayer (ILD) low-k dielectrics, these challenges have been largely associated to integration with metal interconnect fabrication processes and well documented and reviewed in the literature. Although equally important, less attention has been given to other low-k dielectrics utilized in metal interconnect structures that are commonly referred to as low-k dielectric barriers (DB), etch stops (ES), and/or Cu capping layers (CCL). These materials present numerous challenges as well for integration into metal interconnect fabrication processes. However, they also have more stringent integrated functionality requirements relative to low-k ILD materials that serve only a basic purpose of electrically isolating adjacent metal lines. In this article, we review the integration challenges and associated integrated functionality requirements for low-k DB/ES/CCL materials with a focus on the current status and future direction needed for these materials to facilitate both Moore's law (i.e. More Moore) and More than Moore scaling.

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Section: -122mentioning

confidence: 50%

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

King

2014

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

131

115

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“…300-nm-thick films. It is, however, considerably higher than for thin films produced by plasma-enhanced deposition [31], which was expected given the differences between both kinds of films.…”

Section: Fracture Toughnessmentioning

confidence: 80%

Fracture toughness of silicon nitride thin films of different thicknesses as measured by bulge tests

Merle

Göken

2011

Acta Materialia

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“…Beyond the need to produce a notch of sufficient sharpness, another difficulty with ion milling lies in producing a uniform notch depth and/or width: for this reason, in Refs. [16,32] the prenotch was machined straight down in the central part of the sample only, leaving two side walls that formed a precrack when bend-testing thin film samples of silicon oxide, nitride or oxynitride. Testing of small-scale beams containing FIB-premachined notches has been shown in several studies to give K c values near those found for macroscopic samples [15][16][17]26,27]; however, in many other studies, different results, ranging from values slightly to much higher [11,18,19,[21][22][23][24]30,33], or in some cases lower [20,34], than the toughness data from tests on macroscopic specimens of the same material were obtained with FIB-notched specimens.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fracture toughness testing of nanocrystalline alumina and fused quartz using chevron-notched microbeams

et al. 2015

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We show that chevron-notched samples offer an attractive approach to the measurement of fracture toughness in micron-scale samples of brittle materials and use the method to characterize quartz and nanocrystalline alumina. Focused ion beam milling is used to carve bend bars of rectangular cross-section a few micrometres wide and containing a notch with a triangular ligament. Load-controlled testing is conducted using a nanoindentation apparatus. If the notch is appropriately machined, cracks nucleate and propagate in a stable fashion before becoming unstable. Sample dimensions are measured using a scanning electron microscope, and are used as input in finite element simulations of the bars' elastic deformation for various crack lengths. The calculated compliance calibration curve and the measured peak load then give the local fracture toughness of the material. Advantages of the method include a low sensitivity to environmental subcritical crack growth, and the fact that it measures toughness at the tip of a sharp crack situated in material unaffected by ion-milling. The approach is demonstrated on two materials, namely, monolithic fused quartz and nanocrystalline alumina Nextele 610 fibres; results for the latter give the intrinsic grain boundary toughness of alumina, free of grain bridging effects.

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Micron-sized fracture experiments on amorphous SiOx films and SiOx/SiNx multi-layers

Cited by 21 publications

References 11 publications

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

Fracture toughness of silicon nitride thin films of different thicknesses as measured by bulge tests

Fracture toughness testing of nanocrystalline alumina and fused quartz using chevron-notched microbeams

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