Studies of the Polymer Thin Film Glass Transition Temperature Monitored With the Complex Viscoelastic Coefficients

Published

December 1, 1998

Author(s)

Christopher C. White, Wen-Li Wu

Abstract

In integrated circuit manufacturing, the gaps between metal lines are a critical parameter, and polymer films are being evaluated as materials to fill these thin gaps. Desire to maximize the number of elements within a given area have forced the gaps to become increasingly smaller. Currently, 0.25 υm to 0.18 υm line widths are the subject of much commercial interest. A line width of 0.25 microns is within a factor of 5 of the molecular dimension of most commercial polymers. Experiments have suggested polymer films slightly smaller than these dimensions may not have the expected bulk mechanical properties. This deviation from the expected behavior (i.e., change in the glass transition temperature) would present significant technical challenges to the manufacturing and reliability of integrated circuits. These effects are extremely difficult to determine experimentally with requisite precision. Recently, an experimental technique, based on a highly modified quartz crystal microbalance, has been developed to study the mechanical properties of these ultra-thin polymer films with high precision. The details and preliminary results from this recently developed state-of-the-art experimental technique will be presented.

Proceedings Title

Dynamics in Small Confining Systems IV

Volume

543

Conference Dates

November 30-December 3, 1999

Conference Location

Undefined

Conference Title

MRS Proceedings

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

glass transition temperature, mechanical properties, quartz crystal microbalance, ultra-thin polymer films

Citation

White, C. and Wu, W. (1998), Studies of the Polymer Thin Film Glass Transition Temperature Monitored With the Complex Viscoelastic Coefficients, Dynamics in Small Confining Systems IV, Undefined (Accessed January 15, 2025)