Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-m8s7h Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T13:59:41.124Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of Moisture and Contaminants on the Dielectric Constant of Thin-Film Alumina Substrates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Indira Chatterjee ,
Manoranjan Misra ,
Garry W. Warren  and
Cathy Neve
Indira Chatterjee
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557
Manoranjan Misra
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical/Metallurgical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557
Garry W. Warren
Affiliation:
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Cathy Neve
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical/Metallurgical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557
Get access

Abstract

The dielectric properties of substrate materials constitute key parameters that determine the selection, reliability and design of sophisticated modern electronic devices. Two important factors affecting the reliability of electronic devices are the adsorption of moisture from the atmosphere, and contaminants like airborne particles (dust), flux residues, gaseous pollutants, residues from rinsing and cleaning unit operations etc. Any variation in the dielectric properties due to moisture and/or contaminants would be detrimental to the performance of an electronic package.

Among the inorganic materials, alumina represents an optimal combination of electrical properties for many low and high-frequency applications. In this paper, the dielectric constant of thin-film alumina substrates has been measured over a wide frequency range (100 Hz to 3 GHz) as a function of relative humidity. The changes in the dielectric constant when the alumina substrates are contaminated with different contaminants like CuC12, CuSO4, organic acids etc. and exposed to various relative humidity levels for different lengths of time have also been measured. The effect on the dielectric constant when the contaminated substrates are treated with surfactants like oleic acid and dodecyl amine and exposed to different relative humidity levels is also presented. An important observation is that at a relative humidity level of approximately 70% there is a sudden increase in the dielectric constant of the contaminated alumina substrates. Results are also presented for the measured moisture adsorption using Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis in pure alumina, alumina contaminated with CuCI2 and contaminated alumina treated with dodecyl amine. It is shown that the measured dielectric constant is consistent with the amount of moisture adsorption that decreases on treatment with the surfactant.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 225: Symposium G – Materials Reliability Issues in Microelectronics , 1991 , 335
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Yan, B.D., Meilink, S.L., Warren, G.W. and Wynblatt, P., IEEE Trans. Components, Hybrids & Manuf. Tech., 10, 247 (1987)Google Scholar
2. Warren, G.W. and Chatterjee, I., Proceedings of the Symposium on Corrosion of Electronic Materials and Devices, Seattle, Washington, October 14–19, 1990.Google Scholar
3. Dransfeld, K.et al., The Journal of Chemical Physics, 36, 1547 (1962).Google Scholar
4. Morimoto, T. and Iwaki, T., J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans., 1, Part 1, 943, Part 2, 957 (1987).Google Scholar
5. McCafferty, E. et al., Trans. Faraday Soc., 66, 1720 (1970).Google Scholar
6. “Standard Test Methods for AC Loss Characteristics and Permittivity (Dielectric Constant) of Solid Electrical Insulating Materials”, ASTM D, 159.Google Scholar
7. Staebell, K.F. and Misra, D., IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Techniques, MTT–38, 337 (1990).Google Scholar
8. Misra, D. et al., IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Techniques, MTT–38, 337 (1990).Google Scholar