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Study of the effect of dielectric porosity on the stress in advanced Cu/low-k interconnects using x-ray diffraction

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Alton Horsfall, Professor Anthony O'Neill

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This is the final published version of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by American Institute of Physics, 2009.

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Abstract

High intensity x-rays at an advanced light facility were used to probe the strained atomic spacing of Cu interconnects embedded in ultralow-k dielectrics of different porosities. The assumption that the strain-free atomic spacing of a thin film can be extrapolated from a relationship based on the material stiffness coefficients used in literature is tested and demonstrated experimentally using a series of blanket wafers. This is used to calculate the stress of 100 nm interconnects. High porosity materials show in-plane relaxation reducing the stress. The air gap architecture is shown to provide little constraint with the lowest Cu stress.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Wilson CJ, Zhao C, Zhao L, Metzger TH, Tokei Z, Croes K, Pantouvaki M, Beyer GP, Horsfall AB, O'Neill AG

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Applied Physics Letters

Year: 2009

Volume: 94

Issue: 18

Date deposited: 15/09/2016

ISSN (print): 0003-6951

ISSN (electronic): 1077-3118

Publisher: American Institute of Physics

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3133345

DOI: 10.1063/1.3133345

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