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Effects of ultraviolet radiation on ultra-low-dielectric constant thin film fracture properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2011

Ryan Scott Smith ,
Ting Y. Tsui  and
Paul S. Ho
Ryan Scott Smith*
Affiliation:
The Laboratory for Interconnect and Packaging, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758
Ting Y. Tsui
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
Paul S. Ho
Affiliation:
The Laboratory for Interconnect and Packaging, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: scott_smith@mail.utexas.edu
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Abstract

The effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on ultra-low-k dielectric (ULK) thin film fracture toughness were studied. This work discusses both critical and subcritical crack growth behavior under different environments. The critical fracture toughness was measured as a function of applied phase angle by using the four-point bend flexure and mixed-mode double cantilever beam techniques. Results of critical fracture toughness obtained under different loading configurations and phase angles were found to increase with the UV treatment time. In contrast, mode I subcritical fracture toughness thresholds and the crack propagation velocity appeared to be insensitive to UV curing processes. This study revealed that subcritical fracture toughness values reduced with the moisture concentration in the environment.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 24 , Issue 9 , September 2009 , pp. 2795 - 2801
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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