Massive stress changes in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride films on thermal cycling

Hughey, Michael P.; Cook, Robert F.

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2004.01.047

Cited by 66 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…24,25,148 Similar to low-k ILDs, low-k DB materials also exhibit reduce mechanical properties relative to the PECVD a-SiN:H films originally employed. However, the reduction in mechanical properties has not been as severe with reported Young's moduli and fracture toughness values of 40- [170][171][172] reported for PECVD a-SiN:H, the low-k DB mechanical property reduction is fairly modest. Also as the reduced values for low-k DB materials are substantially higher than those for low-k ILD materials, there has been generally less concern for these properties when considering new low-k DBs.…”

Section: -122mentioning

confidence: 51%

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

King

2014

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

133

115

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Over the past decade, the primary focus for improving the performance of nano-electronic metal interconnect structures has been to reduce the impact of resistance-capacitance (RC) delays via utilizing insulating dielectrics with ever lower values of dielectric permittivity. The integration and implementation of such low dielectric constant (i.e. low-k) materials has been fraught with numerous challenges. For intermetal and interlayer (ILD) low-k dielectrics, these challenges have been largely associated to integration with metal interconnect fabrication processes and well documented and reviewed in the literature. Although equally important, less attention has been given to other low-k dielectrics utilized in metal interconnect structures that are commonly referred to as low-k dielectric barriers (DB), etch stops (ES), and/or Cu capping layers (CCL). These materials present numerous challenges as well for integration into metal interconnect fabrication processes. However, they also have more stringent integrated functionality requirements relative to low-k ILD materials that serve only a basic purpose of electrically isolating adjacent metal lines. In this article, we review the integration challenges and associated integrated functionality requirements for low-k DB/ES/CCL materials with a focus on the current status and future direction needed for these materials to facilitate both Moore's law (i.e. More Moore) and More than Moore scaling.

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Section: -122mentioning

confidence: 51%

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

King

2014

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

133

115

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“…[276][277][278][279][280] However, we have previously observed such hysteretic behavior from SiC:H films where the deposition temperature was not exceeded during the CTE measurement. 140 For dense SiC:H films such as in this study, no significant hydrogen loss or bond re-arrangement was detected by either FTIR or NRA-RBS, implying that the observed hysteretic behavior is due instead to strained bond relaxation.…”

Section: -268mentioning

confidence: 90%

“…• C. 140,258,[276][277][278][279][280] In most cases, the hysteretic behavior has been attributed to hydrogen loss and bond rearrangement resulting from heating the films above their deposition temperatures. [276][277][278][279][280] However, we have previously observed such hysteretic behavior from SiC:H films where the deposition temperature was not exceeded during the CTE measurement.…”

Section: -268mentioning

confidence: 99%

Review—Investigation and Review of the Thermal, Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, and Structural Properties of Atomic Layer Deposited High-kDielectrics: Beryllium Oxide, Aluminum Oxide, Hafnium Oxide, and Aluminum Nitride

Gaskins

Hopkins

Merrill

et al. 2017

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

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Atomic layer deposited (ALD) high-dielectric-constant (high-k) materials have found extensive applications in a variety of electronic, optical, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic devices. While electrical, optical, and interfacial properties have been the primary consideration for such devices, thermal and mechanical properties are becoming an additional key consideration for many new and emerging applications of ALD high-k materials in electromechanical, energy storage, and organic light emitting diode devices. Unfortunately, a clear correspondence between thermal/mechanical and electrical/optical properties in ALD high-k materials has yet to be established, and a detailed comparison to conventional silicon-based dielectrics to facilitate optimal material selection is also lacking. In this regard, we have conducted a comprehensive investigation and review of the thermal, mechanical, electrical, optical, and structural properties for a series of prevalent and emerging ALD high-k materials including aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), aluminum nitride (AlN), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), and beryllium oxide (BeO). For comparison, more established silicon-based dielectrics were also examined, including thermally grown silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and plasma-enhanced chemically vapor deposited hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiN:H). We find that in addition to exhibiting high values of dielectric permittivity and electrical resistance that exceed those of SiO 2 and SiN:H, the ALD high-k materials exhibit equally exceptional thermal and mechanical properties with coefficients of thermal expansion ≤ 6 × 10 -6 / • C, thermal conductivites (κ) of 3-15 W/m K, and Young's modulus and hardness values exceeding 200 and 25 GPa, respectively. In many cases, the observed extreme thermal/mechanical properties correlate with the presence of crystallinity in the ALD high-k films. In contrast, some of the electrical and optical properties correlate more strongly with the percentage of ionic vs. covalent bonds present in the high-k film. Overall, the ALD high-k dielectrics investigated concurrently exhibit compelling thermal/mechanical and electrical/optical properties. The drive to reduce gate leakage currents in highly scaled complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors has led to the exploration and development of a wide variety of high-dielectricconstant (high-k) materials to replace silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) as the insulating gate dielectric material.1-8 Many of these same high-k materials have found additional applications in future non-CMOS logic and memory storage products such as solid-state electrolytes in resistive switching devices, 9,10 tunnel barriers in spin-transport devices, 11 and as a ferroelectric in magnetoelectric devices. While electrical, physical, and thermodynamic properties have clearly been a key consideration in all of the above applications, thermal properties have become an additional important consideration for higk-k dielectrics as aggressive dimensional scaling of devices has created the need to dissipate ...

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“…It is known that PECVD SiN x films contain substantial amount of bonded hydrogen from the source gases [5,9,22]. The hydrogen may be bonded to both N and Si in the film.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies have shown that the structure and the properties of PECVD SiN x thin films are sensitive to environmental conditions, such as moisture, atmosphere and temperature [21,22]. During preparation, storage and packaging, these films are exposed to different oxidising environments, resulting in chemical and physical changes in the structure of the films that have direct impact on the mechanical properties of these films.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxidation of PECVD SiNx thin films

Jehanathan

Walmsley

Liu

et al. 2007

Journal of Alloys and Compounds

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Massive stress changes in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride films on thermal cycling

Cited by 66 publications

References 39 publications

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

Dielectric Barrier, Etch Stop, and Metal Capping Materials for State of the Art and beyond Metal Interconnects

Review—Investigation and Review of the Thermal, Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, and Structural Properties of Atomic Layer Deposited High-kDielectrics: Beryllium Oxide, Aluminum Oxide, Hafnium Oxide, and Aluminum Nitride

Oxidation of PECVD SiNx thin films

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