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An x-ray method for direct determination of the strain state and strain relaxation in micron-scale passivated metallization lines during thermal cycling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Paul R. Besser ,
Sean Brennan  and
John C. Bravman
Paul R. Besser*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305–2205
Sean Brennan
Affiliation:
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025
John C. Bravman
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305–2205
*
a)Currently with Advanced Micro Devices, Integrated Technology Division, P.O. Box 3453, Mailstop 160, Sunnyvale, California 94088–3453.
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Abstract

We describe a method for directly determining the strain state of passivated metal lines. Synchrotron radiation in the grazing incidence geometry is used to directly measure the in-plane interplanar spacing along the length and width of the lines, while the strain normal to the surface of the line is measured using conventional diffraction methods. The entire strain state is thereby defined. Previous work has measured out-of-plane reflections, fit them to a straight line as a trigonometric function of the angle of orientation, and extrapolated to determine the principal strains. The equivalence of the two x-ray methods on the same sample is demonstrated at room temperature before and after thermal cycling. For short time strain relaxation experiments during thermal cycling, measurement of the three principal strains leads to the direct calculation of the stress relaxation. We apply the strain determination technique to Al-0.5% Cu lines passivated with Si3N4 as the lines are thermally cycled from room temperature to 450 °C and back. The strain state, stress state, and strain relaxation of the lines are calculated at several temperatures during thermal cycling.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , January 1994 , pp. 13 - 24
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

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References

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