Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-7fx5l Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-20T19:45:57.177Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mechanics of microelectronics structures as revealed by X-ray diffraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2012

Conal E. Murray ,
H. Yan  and
I. C. Noyan
Conal E. Murray
Affiliation:
IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
H. Yan
Affiliation:
Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
I. C. Noyan
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
Get access

Abstract

The presence of strain distributions within semiconductor features influences many aspects of their behavior. For example, microelectronic technology that incorporates strained silicon improves device performance by increasing carrier mobility in the Si channels. Because current semiconductor fabrication contains multiple levels of metallic and dielectric structures, an understanding of the mechanical response of the constituent elements is critical to the prediction of the overall device performance. In addition, the interaction of strain fields between adjacent structures becomes greater as feature sizes decrease and the corresponding feature density increases. The use of synchrotron-based X-ray methods allows one to determine the interaction between strained features and their environment at a submicron resolution. Real-space mapping of strain distributions in pseudomorphically strained, raised SiGe structures revealed that elastic relaxation extends approximately 20 times the feature thickness from their edges. X-ray topographic methods were also applied to map the substrate deformation induced by overlying SiGe features. A formulation based on the classical Ewald-von Laue theory of dynamical diffraction was derived to match the measured diffraction profiles.

Keywords

strainX-ray diffractionmechanics

Information

Type
X-RAY DIFFRACTION AND RELATED TECHNIQUES
Information
Powder Diffraction , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , June 2007 , pp. 98 - 102
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ando, Y., Patel, J. R., and Kato, N. (1973). “X-ray Diffraction Topographs of Silicon Crystals with Superposed Oxide Film. III. Intensity Distribution,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.1661973 44, 4405–4412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blech, I. A. and Meieran, E. S. (1967). “Enhanced X-Ray Diffraction from Substrate Crystals Containing Discontinuous Surface Films,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.1710023 38, 2913–2919.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowen, D. K. and Tanner, B. K. (1998). High Resolution X-ray Diffractometry and Topography (Taylor and Francis, Oxford).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brantley, W. A. (1973). “Calculated Elastic Constants for Stress Problems Associated with Semiconductor Devices,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.1661935 44, 534–535.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, W. T. and Nelson, C. W. (1979). “Thermal Stress in Bonded Joints,” IBM J. Res. Dev.IBMJAE 23, 179–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colman, D., Bate, R. T., and Mize, J. P. (1968). “Mobility Anisotropy and Piezoresistance in Silicon p-Type Inversion Layers,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.1656464 39, 1923–1931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
COMSOL, Inc. (2004). FEMLAB 3.1 (Computer Software), COMSOL, Inc., Burlington, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Goland, M. and Reissner, E. (1944). “Stresses in Cemented Joints,” J. Appl. Mech.JAMCAV 11, A17–A27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, S. M. (1979). “Film-Edge-Induced Stress in Substrates,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.326575 50, 4661–4666.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jain, S. C., Maes, H. E., and Pinardi, K. (1997). “Stresses in Strained GeSi Stripes and Quantum Structures: Calculation Using the Finite Element Method and Determination using Micro-Raman and Other Measurements,” Thin Solid FilmsTHSFAP10.1016/S0040-6090(96)09104-3 292, 218–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lang, A. R. (1959). “Studies of Individual Dislocations in Crystals by X-Ray Diffraction Microradiography,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.1735048 30, 1748–1755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Love, A. E. H. (1944). A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity, 4th ed. (Dover, New York).Google Scholar
Meyerson, B. S. (1986). “Low-Temperature Silicon Epitaxy by Ultrahigh Vacuum/Chemical Vapor Deposition,” Appl. Phys. Lett.APPLAB10.1063/1.96673 48, 797–799.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, C. E. and Noyan, I. C. (2005). “Mechanics of End Effects in Thin Film and Substrate Stress Distributions,” Mater. Sci. ForumMSFOEP 490, 13–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, C. E., Yan, H.-F., Noyan, I. C., Cai, Z., and Lai, B. (2005). “High-Resolution Strain Mapping in Heteroepitaxial Thin-Film Features,” J. Appl. Phys.JAPIAU10.1063/1.1938277 98, 013504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noyan, I. C., Wang, P. C., Kaldor, S. K., Jordan-Sweet, J. L, and Liniger, E. G. (2000). “Divergence Effects in Monochromatic X-Ray Microdiffraction using Tapered Capillary Optics,” Rev. Sci. Instrum.RSINAK10.1063/1.1150567 71, 1991–2000.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rim, K., Hoyt, J. L., and Gibbons, J. F. (2000). “Fabrication and Analysis of Deep Submicron Strained-Si N-MOSFET’s,” IEEE Trans. Electron DevicesIETDAI10.1109/16.848284 47, 1406–1415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, C. S. (1954). “Piezoresistance Effect in Germanium and Silicon,” Phys. Rev.PHRVAO10.1103/PhysRev.94.42 94, 42–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suhir, E. (1989). “Interfacial Stresses in Bimetal Thermostats,” J. Appl. Mech.JAMCAV 56, 595–600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, S. E., Armstrong, M., Auth, C., Cea, S., Chau, R., Glass, G., Hoffman, T., Klaus, J., Ma, Z., McIntyre, B., Murthy, A., Obradovic, B., Shifren, L., Sivakumar, S., Tyagi, S., Ghani, T., Mistry, K., Bohr, M., and El-Mansy, Y. (2004). “A Logic Nanotechnology Featuring Strained-Silicon,” IEEE Trans. Electron DevicesIETDAI 25, 191–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volkersen, O. (1938). “The Force Distribution in Riveted Joints with Constant Overlap Under Tensile Loading,” LuftfahrtforschungLFFGAV 15, 41–47.Google Scholar
Yan, H., Murray, C. E., and Noyan, I. C. (2007). “Mapping Local Strain in Thin Film/Substrate Systems using X-Ray Microdiffraction Topography,” Appl. Phys. Lett.APPLAB10.1063/1.2711189 90, 091918.CrossRefGoogle Scholar