| AVS 61st International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Electronic Materials and Processing | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session EM-TuM |
| Session: | Advanced Interconnects and Materials |
| Presenter: | Hang Yu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Authors: | H.Z. Yu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology C.V. Thompson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Precise control of residual stress in polycrystalline thin films, which remains a central but difficult task in advanced interconnects and N/MEMS applications, requires synergistic manipulation of multiple processing parameters. Our recent work has demonstrated that stress evolution during film growth is controlled by a series of kinetic processes that include adatom-ledge interactions on the surfaces of individual grains, adatom interactions with grain boundaries, and grain growth during film thickening. By synergistically controlling the growth conditions and therefore controlling these kinetic processes, residual stress levels in polycrystalline films can be tailored for optimal performance for specific given applications. In particular, we find that the composition and partial pressure of residual gases in the deposition chamber have a profound effect on the stress evolution behavior. As a consequence, understanding and control of these effects allow tuning of the residual stress of a film. As an example, we demonstrate the use of low levels of oxygen impurities to produce zero stress Ni films.