Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-n9wrp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T15:48:34.222Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Determining Thin Film Density by Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Reflectivity: Application to a Spin-on-Glass Dielectric

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

W. E. Wallace
Affiliation:
National Institute of Standards and Technology Bldg. 224, Rm. B320 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 USA
W. L. Wu
Affiliation:
National Institute of Standards and Technology Bldg. 224, Rm. B320 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 USA
Get access

Abstract

A novel method for determining thin film density by energy dispersive x-ray reflectivity is demonstrated for a polymer-derived spin-on-glass dielectric intended for microelectronics applications. The effects of sample misalignment limit the accuracy of x-ray reflectivity as typically practiced. These effects may be properly accounted for by measuring the critical angle for reflection at many different x-ray wavelengths simultaneously. From this measurement, thin film density can be ascertained with much improved accuracy. The results of the x-ray reflectivity measurement are compared to those derived from MeV ion scattering.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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

1. Lekner, J., Theory of Reflection of Electromagnetic and Particle Waves, (Martinus-Nijhoff, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1987.)Google Scholar
2. Russell, T. P., Mat. Sci. Rep. 5, 171 (1990).Google Scholar
3.. Wilson, S. R., Tracy, C. J., and Freeman, J. L., eds., Handbook of Multilevel Metallization for Integrated Circuits: Materials Technology, and Applications, (Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1993.)Google Scholar
4. Rao, G. K, Multilevel Interconnect Technology, (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1993.)Google Scholar
5. Smolinsky, G., Lifshitz, N., and Ryan, V., in Electronics Packaging and Materials Science IV, edited by Jaccodine, R., Jackson, K. A., Lillie, E. D., Sundahl, R. C., (Mater. Res. Soc. Proc. 154, Pittsburgh, 1989), p. 173182.Google Scholar
6. Feldman, L. C. and Mayer, J. W., Fundamentals of Surface and Thin Film Analysis, (North- Holland, New York, 1987.)Google Scholar
7. Schalchli, A., Benattar, J. J., Licoppe, C., Europhys. Lett. 26, 271 (1994).Google Scholar
8. Wallace, W. E. and Wu, W. L., Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 1203 (1995).Google Scholar
9. The polysilsesquioxane polymer was synthesized by Hydee Collazo, Lisa Figge, Don Berry (Department of Chemistry, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia), and Barry Arkles (Gelest, Inc., Tulleytown, Pa).Google Scholar
10. The electron density and x-ray absorption were fit using the Parrat formalism (Parrat, L.G., Phys. Rev. 95, 359 (1954)), and the computer code of Ankner (J. F. Ankner and C. J. Majkrzak, Proc. SPIE 1738, 260 (1992)).Google Scholar
11. Doolittle, L. R., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 9, 334 (1985).Google Scholar
12. Leavitt, J. A., McIntyre, L. C., Stoss, P., Oder, J. G., Ashbaugh, M. D., Dezfouly-Arjomandy, B., Yang, Z. M. and Lin, Z., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 40/41, 776 (1989).Google Scholar