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Progressive Debonding of Multilayer Interconnect Structures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Michael Lane
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305
Robert Ware
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305
Steven Voss
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305
Qing Ma
Affiliation:
Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA
Harry Fujimoto
Affiliation:
Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA
Reinhold H. Dauskardt
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, CA 94305
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Abstract

Progressive (or time dependent) debonding of interfaces poses serious problems in interconnect structures involving multilayer thin films stacks. The existence of such subcriticai debonding associated with environmentally assisted crack-growth processes is examined for a TiN/SiO2 interface commonly encountered in interconnect structures. The rate of debond extension is found to be sensitive to the mechanical driving force as well as the interface morphology, chemistry, and yielding of adjacent ductile layers. In order to investigate the effect of interconnect structure, particularly the effect of an adjacent ductile Al-Cu layer, on subcriticai debonding along the TiN/SiO2 interface, a set of samples was prepared with Al-Cu layer thicknesses varying from 0.2–4.0 μm. All other processing conditions remained the same over the entire sample run. Results showed that for a given crack growth velocity, the debond driving force scaled with Al-Cu layer thickness. Normalizing the data by the critical adhesion energy allowed a universal subcriticai debond rate curve to be derived.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

REFERENCES

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