The design of future generations of Cu-low-k dielectric interconnects with reduced electronic crosstalk often requires engineering materials with an optimal trade off between their dielectric constant and elastic modulus. This is because the benefits associated with the reduction of the dielectric constant by increasing the porosity of materials, for example, can adversely affect their mechanical integrity during processing. By using load-dependent contact-resonance atomic force microscopy, the changes in the elastic modulus of low-k dielectric materials due to processing were accurately measured. These changes were linked to alterations sustained by the structure of low-k dielectric films during processing. A two-phase model was used for quantitative assessments of the elastic modulus changes undergone by the organosilicate skeleton of the structure of porous and pore-filled dielectrics.
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13 October 2014
Research Article|
October 15 2014
Mechanical property changes in porous low-k dielectric thin films during processing
G. Stan;
G. Stan
a)
1Material Measurement Laboratory,
National Institute of Standards and Technology
, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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R. S. Gates;
R. S. Gates
1Material Measurement Laboratory,
National Institute of Standards and Technology
, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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P. Kavuri;
P. Kavuri
2Physical Measurement Laboratory,
National Institute of Standards and Technology
, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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J. Torres;
J. Torres
3Logic Technology Development,
Intel Corporation
, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, USA
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D. Michalak;
D. Michalak
3Logic Technology Development,
Intel Corporation
, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, USA
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C. Ege;
C. Ege
3Logic Technology Development,
Intel Corporation
, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, USA
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J. Bielefeld;
J. Bielefeld
3Logic Technology Development,
Intel Corporation
, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, USA
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S. W. King
S. W. King
3Logic Technology Development,
Intel Corporation
, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, USA
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a)
Also at Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. Electronic mail: gheorghe.stan@nist.gov.
Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 152906 (2014)
Article history
Received:
August 15 2014
Accepted:
October 04 2014
Citation
G. Stan, R. S. Gates, P. Kavuri, J. Torres, D. Michalak, C. Ege, J. Bielefeld, S. W. King; Mechanical property changes in porous low-k dielectric thin films during processing. Appl. Phys. Lett. 13 October 2014; 105 (15): 152906. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4898351
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