Effect of moisture on electrical properties and reliability of low dielectric constant materials

Abstract

The effect of absorbed moisture on the electrical characteristics and reliability of low dielectric constant materials (low-k) was investigated in this study. The experimental results reveal that porous low-k dielectrics absorb more moisture than dense low-k dielectrics. This absorbed moisture degrades the electrical performance and reliability of both classes of low-k dielectrics. Annealing at a higher temperature of 400 degrees C is required to decompose the physically-adsorbed moisture and thereby restore reliability performance. However, the chemically-adsorbed moisture seems to be difficult to remove by annealing at 400 degrees C, causing a degraded TDDB performance. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.