Thermally Induced Stresses in Passivated Thin Films and Patterned Lines of AlSiCu

Abstract

ABSTRACTA bending beam technique was used to measure the mechanical stresses in AlSi(l%)Cu(0.5%) blanket films as well as in patterned lines (aspect ratio: 0.8) - unpassivated and passivated with SiNx - during thermal cycling from –170°C or room temperature to 450°C.Main results are:a) No significant differences in unpassivated and passivated blanket films with thickness ranging from 0.2 µm to 3.2 µm.b) In unpassivated patterned lines of 0.8 µm thickness the stresses across the lines are very small, while parallel to the lines they show nearly elastic behaviour, except at high temperatures.c) In passivated patterned lines the stresses are much higher than in blanket films, very similar parallel and across the line and nearly elastic. The stress relaxation is small compared with blanket films and depends strongly on the temperature.