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Synthesis and Properties of Al-Based Amorphous and Microcrystalline Thin Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Christoph Ettl ,
Lothar Berger ,
Joachim W. Mrosk  and
Hans-Jörg Fecht
Christoph Ettl
Affiliation:
Center for Micromaterials, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
Lothar Berger
Affiliation:
Center for Micromaterials, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
Joachim W. Mrosk
Affiliation:
Center for Micromaterials, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
Hans-Jörg Fecht
Affiliation:
Center for Micromaterials, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 47, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
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Abstract

Amorphous metal alloys are ideally suited for interconnects in micro-electromechanical sys- tems (MEMS) because of their resistance against stress- and electromigration, and their stability in chemically aggressive environments, which should both lead to a substantial improvement of lifetime and reliability of robust sensors. While amorphous refractory metal alloys and amor- phous silicides are excellent interconnect materials for devices operating at elevated tempera- tures, these systems lack the cost-effective and easy interconnect processing of the prevalent polycrystalline aluminum alloy metallizations. Amorphous aluminum alloys are applicable to devices operating at up to 200°C, and their stressmigration resistance and chemical stability is far superior to conventional polycrystalline aluminum alloys. These new metallizations are very promising for processing interconnects, in particular because of their high strength and ductility, though having low density, and their relatively low electrical resistivity compared to other amor- phous metal alloys. Therefore these metallizations are especially suited for surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors, where the interconnects are exposed to considerable mechanical strains. In this work amorphous Aluminum Yttrium alloy thin film metallizations deposited on appropriate sub- strates at room temperature (R.T.) by ultra-high vacuum (UHV) electron beam evaporation will be presented, and their mechanical and electronic properties together with their temperature sta- bility will be investigated.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 672: Symposium O – Mechanisms of Surface and Microstructure Evolution in Deposited Films and Film Structures , 2001 , O60.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001

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