scholarly journals Nanoindentation of Silicate Low-K Dielectric Thin Films

2002 ◽  
Vol 716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph B. Vella ◽  
Alex A. Volinsky ◽  
Indira S. Adhihetty ◽  
N.V. Edwards ◽  
William W. Gerberich
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Percolation Theory ◽  
Scratch Testing ◽  
Dielectric Thin Films ◽  
Cube Corner ◽  
Low K

AbstractThe capabilities of nanoindentation to characterize low-k organo silicate glass (OSG) thin films is explored as a relatively rapid and inexpensive metric of mechanical properties, adhesion strength, and fracture toughness. One method of decreasing the static dielectric constant of OSG interlayer dielectrics requires the introduction of porosity in the material which has a dramatic impact on its mechanical and toughness properties. Percolation theory is used to formulate a correlation between porosity and elastic modulus. Using cube corner diamond indentation and scratch testing fracture toughness calculations are also discussed.

Fracture toughness, adhesion and mechanical properties of low-K dielectric thin films measured by nanoindentation

2003 ◽  
Vol 429 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 201-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex A Volinsky ◽  
Joseph B Vella ◽  
William W Gerberich
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Dielectric Thin Films ◽  
Low K

Fracture Toughness and Adhesion Energy of Sol-gel Coatings on Glass

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 224-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaap Den Toonder ◽  
Jürgen Malzbender ◽  
Gijsbertus De With ◽  
Ruud Balkenende
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Sol Gel ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Adhesion Energy ◽  
Scratch Testing ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Coating Fracture

The reliability of coatings that are used in industrial applications critically depends on their mechanical properties. Nanoindentation and scratch testing are well-established techniques to measure some of these properties, namely the elastic modulus and hardness of coatings. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of also assessing the coating fracture toughness and the energy of adhesion between the coating and the substrate using indentation and scratch testing. Various existing and new methods are discussed, and they are illustrated by measurements on particle-filled sol-gel coatings on glass. All methods are based on the occurrence of cracking, and they are therefore only applicable to coating systems that act like brittle materials and exhibit cracking during indentation and scratching. The methods for determining the fracture toughness give comparable results, but the values still differ to within about 50%. The values of the adhesion energy obtained from different measurements are consistent, but it remains uncertain to which extent the obtained values are quantitatively correct. The results show that the methods used are promising, but more research is needed to obtain reliable quantitative results.

scholarly journals Enhanced Thermo–Mechanical Reliability of Ultralow-K Dielectrics with Self-Organized Molecular Pores

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2284
Author(s):  
Y. K. Sa ◽  
Junghwan Bang ◽  
Junhyuk Son ◽  
Dong-Yurl Yu ◽  
Yun-Chan Kim
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Indentation Test ◽  
Chemical Degradation ◽  
Mechanical Instability ◽  
Uniform Size ◽  
Dielectric Thin Films ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Low K

This paper reported the enhancement in thermo-mechanical properties and chemical stability of porous SiCOH dielectric thin films fabricated with molecularly scaled pores of uniform size and distribution. The resulting porous dielectric thin films were found to exhibit far stronger resistance to thermo-mechanical instability mechanisms common to conventional SiCOH dielectric thin films without forgoing an ultralow dielectric constant (i.e., ultralow-k). Specifically, the elastic modulus measured by nano-indentation was 13 GPa, which was substantially higher than the value of 6 GPa for a porous low-k film deposited by a conventional method, while dielectric constant exhibited an identical value of 2.1. They also showed excellent resistance against viscoplastic deformation, as measured by the ball indentation method, which represented the degree of chemical degradation of the internal bonds. Indentation depth was measured at 5 nm after a 4-h indentation test at 400 °C, which indicated an ~89% decrease compared with conventional SiCOH film. Evolution of film shrinkage and dielectric constant after annealing and plasma exposure were reduced in the low-k film with a self-organized molecular film. Analysis of the film structure via Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated an increase in symmetric linear Si–O–Si molecular chains with terminal –CH3 bonds that were believed to be responsible for both the decrease in dipole moment/dielectric constant and the formation of molecular scaled pores. The observed enhanced mechanical and chemical properties were also attributed to this unique nano-porous structure.

Characterization of Nanoporous Low Dielectric Polysilsesquioxane Thin Films

2005 ◽  
Vol 277-279 ◽  
pp. 907-911
Author(s):  
Jingyu Hyeon Lee ◽  
Yi Yeol Lyu ◽  
Mong Sup Lee ◽  
Jin Heong Yim ◽  
Sang Youl Kim
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Refractive Index ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Polymer Matrix ◽  
Low Dielectric

Poly(methyl-co-cyclosiloxane bearing silsesquioxane)s (P(M-co-CSSQs)) were prepared. Using poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) as a template, PCL / P(M-co-CSSQ) nanohybrid films were fabricated. The electrical, morphological, and mechanical properties of the PCL / P(M-co-CSSQ) films were investigated. The dielectric constant of a cured PCL / P(M-co-CSSQ) film at 420°C scaled down from 2.55 to 2.05 and refractive index from 1.41 to 1.33 when 20 vol. % of the PCL was admixed with the polymer matrix. The elastic modulus and hardness of the cured PCL / P(Mco- CSSQ) (2:8, vol./vol.) film were 2.50 and 0.32 GPa, respectively, showing dependency on the PCL content.

scholarly journals Mechanical Properties of 3C-SiC Films for MEMS Applications

2007 ◽  
Vol 1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayadeep Deva Reddy ◽  
Alex A. Volinsky ◽  
Christopher L. Frewin ◽  
Chris Locke ◽  
Stephen E. Saddow
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Silicon Carbide ◽  
Plastic Deformation ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Single Crystal ◽  
Elastic Contact ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Sic Films

AbstractThere is a technological need for hard thin films with high elastic modulus and fracture toughness. Silicon carbide (SiC) fulfills such requirements for a variety of applications at high temperatures and for high-wear MEMS. A detailed study of the mechanical properties of single crystal and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films grown on Si substrates was performed by means of nanoindentation using a Berkovich diamond tip. The thickness of both the single and polycrystalline SiC films was around 1-2 μm. Under indentation loads below 500 μN both films exhibit Hertzian elastic contact without plastic deformation. The polycrystalline SiC films have an elastic modulus of 457 GPa and hardness of 33.5 GPa, while the single crystalline SiC films elastic modulus and hardness were measured to be 433 GPa and 31.2 GPa, respectively. These results indicate that polycrystalline SiC thin films are more attractive for MEMS applications when compared with the single crystal 3C-SiC, which is promising since growing single crystal 3C-SiC films is more challenging.

Methodology to Determine the Toughness of a Brittle Thin Film by Nanoindentation

2006 ◽  
Vol 914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene Brillet-Rouxel ◽  
Marc Verdier ◽  
Michel Dupeux ◽  
Muriel Braccini ◽  
Stéphane Orain
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thin Films ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Bulk Silicon ◽  
Si Substrate ◽  
Dielectric Thin Films ◽  
Estimation Formula ◽  
Cube Corner ◽  
Local Technique ◽  
Film Substrate

AbstractNanoindentation is the most convenient local technique for measuring elastic modulus, hardness, and fracture toughness of dielectric thin films. This approach is applied to bulk silicon and dielectric thin films (porous and non-porous) on silicon substrate. Reproducible stable cracks are generated from the edges of a cube corner indentor. The validity of theoretical model of use to estimate the toughness from cracks length has been checked on these reference cases. To calculate the toughness of thin film on Si substrate, we first established the loading range in which the cracks only affect the thin film without substrate damage. Several corrective terms have been introduced to the classical toughness estimation formula to take into account the proximity of the film/substrate interface and the residual stress pre-existing in the film. This approach is discussed by comparing experimental results obtained including these improvements to literature results.

Finite-Element Modeling and Quantitative Measurement Using Scanning Microwave Microscopy to Characterize Dielectric Films

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Rubin ◽  
W. Jolley ◽  
Y. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Dielectric Film ◽  
Dielectric Constants ◽  
Dielectric Films ◽  
Silicon Substrates ◽  
Fem Modeling ◽  
Dielectric Thin Films ◽  
Microwave Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Microwave Microscopy ◽  
Low K

Abstract Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM) can be used to characterize dielectric thin films and to quantitatively discern film thickness differences. FEM modeling of the sMIM response provides understanding of how to connect the measured sMIM signals to the underlying properties of the dielectric film and its substrate. Modeling shows that sMIM can be used to characterize a range of dielectric film thicknesses spanning both low-k and medium-k dielectric constants. A model system consisting of SiO2 thin films of various thickness on silicon substrates is used to illustrate the technique experimentally.

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