Origin of stress gradients induced in capped, copper metallization

Journal Article · Mon Feb 24 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867075· OSTI ID:22293031

Murray, Conal E., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[1]

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1. IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States)

Stress gradients generated near the top surface of Cu thin films by capping layers, as measured using a combination of conventional and glancing incidence x-ray diffraction, exhibit heterogeneous behavior that is directly related to plastic anisotropy within the Cu grains. A comparison of stress gradients measured from several x-ray reflections to their corresponding Schmid factors yields a consistent, critical resolved shear stress. The results experimentally verify that dislocation-mediated plasticity is responsible for the creation of stress gradients at the Cu film/cap interface. Depth-dependent measurements reveal that the observed gradients are localized to within 200 nm of this interface.

• OSTI ID: 22293031
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
COPPER
DISLOCATIONS
INTERFACES
PLASTICITY
REFLECTION
SHEAR
STRESSES
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
X RADIATION
X-RAY DIFFRACTION