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Profiling of the Mechanical Properties of Ultralow-k Films Using Nanoindentation Techniques

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2011

Holm Geisler ,
Ulrich Mayer ,
Matthias U. Lehr ,
Petra Hofmann  and
Hans-Juergen Engelmann
Holm Geisler
Affiliation:
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Dresden Module One LLC & Co. KG, Wilschdorfer Landstr. 101, D-01109 Dresden, Germany
Ulrich Mayer
Affiliation:
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Dresden Module One LLC & Co. KG, Wilschdorfer Landstr. 101, D-01109 Dresden, Germany
Matthias U. Lehr
Affiliation:
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Dresden Module One LLC & Co. KG, Wilschdorfer Landstr. 101, D-01109 Dresden, Germany
Petra Hofmann
Affiliation:
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Dresden Module One LLC & Co. KG, Wilschdorfer Landstr. 101, D-01109 Dresden, Germany
Hans-Juergen Engelmann
Affiliation:
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Dresden Module One LLC & Co. KG, Wilschdorfer Landstr. 101, D-01109 Dresden, Germany
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Abstract

Several nanoindentation techniques were applied to the surface, the reverse side and cross-sections of PECVD ultralow-k (ULK) film stacks to characterize their elasto-plastic properties quantitatively. Results showed good agreement of the reduced modulus (Er) values measured from above and on cross-sections, respectively. Er decreased by 10-22% from the upper to the lower surface of the films. This gradient suggests that UV light absorption inside the film leads to slightly reduced curing at the rear side of the films compared to the surface of the ULK layers. Both quasi-static nanoindentation and dynamic mechanical mapping showed this trend. It is demonstrated that quantitative mechanical mapping can be performed with a lateral resolution ≤ 100nm. Slight local variations of Er were detected on ULK/SiCxNy films stacked on top of Cu-low-k interconnect structures.

Keywords

plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)elastic propertiesnano-indentation
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1297: Symposium P – Deformation Mechanisms, Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Nanoscale Materials , 2011 , mrsf10-1297-p11-14
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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