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Stress corrosion of organosilicate glass films in aqueous environments: Role of pH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

F. Iacopi ,
C. Elia ,
T. Fournier ,
F. Sinapi  and
Y. Travaly
F. Iacopi*
Affiliation:
Inter-university Micro-Electronics Center (IMEC), Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
C. Elia
Affiliation:
Inter-university Micro-Electronics Center (IMEC), Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; and Istituto Universitario degli Studi Superiori di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
T. Fournier
Affiliation:
Inter-university Micro-Electronics Center (IMEC), Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium; and Génie des Matériaux, Université Aix-Marseille III, Marseille, France
F. Sinapi
Affiliation:
Inter-university Micro-Electronics Center (IMEC), Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Y. Travaly
Affiliation:
Inter-university Micro-Electronics Center (IMEC), Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Subcritical cracking of thin glass films caused by stress-corrosion phenomena cannot be neglected when it comes to application and manufacturing processes that involve exposure to aqueous environments. A protocol is introduced to allow for a quantitative study of stress corrosion through channel cracking experiments. By this method, an exponential dependence of the crack propagation rate on the pH of the aqueous environment is revealed. Therefore, this behavior should be accounted for through the use of an appropriate pre-exponential factor in the expression of channel cracking rate. This factor should reflect the reduced crack resistance of the glass film caused by the weakening of the silica bonds behind the crack tip in the aqueous environment. A direct comparison between commercial slurries and reference solutions confirms that the crack resistance is a function of the pH of the ambient.

Keywords

Thin filmFractureAmorphous
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , March 2008 , pp. 862 - 868
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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References

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