Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
A systematic evaluation of the stress-temperature behavior of O3-TEOS Sub-Atmospheric CVD (SACVD) oxide films used in IMD applications was performed in order to elucidate the surface dependence and mechanical stability of these films when deposited on different oxide underlayers such as PECVD TEOS-based, Silane-based, and thermally grown oxides. SACVD films were deposited at 360°C using different O3:TEOS molar flow ratios. The results obtained in this study indicate that the stress-temperature behavior of SACVD films deposited on PECVD Silane-based and TEOS-based oxides using N2O as the oxidizing agent is similar to that of the SACVD films deposited on silicon. However, a large stress hysteresis is obtained when SACVD films are deposited on PECVD TEOS-O2 and thermally grown oxide underlayers. This large stress hysteresis results from the surface dependence effects of the SACVD oxides on thermally grown and PECVD TEOS-O2 oxide underlayers. Also, this stress hysteresis can be reduced or eliminated by treating the oxide underlayer surface with an in-situ Ar, He, or N2 plasma. Furthermore, it was also found that the SACVD oxides deposited using higher O3:TEOS molar flow ratios are chemically and mechanically more stable.