Crack initiation at free edge of interface between thin films in advanced LSI

Since electronic devices are made of multi-layered sub-micron films, delamination along the interface is one of the major failure mechanisms. This paper aims to develop a method for evaluating the mechanical criterion of interface cracking between thin films on a substrate. The focus is put on crack initiation from the free edge of the interface where the stress concentrates due to the mismatch of elastic deformation. In the evaluation, it is important to exclude plastic deformation and fracture of the thin metal film, because they bring about ambiguity on the measured magnitude of interface strength. In this study, an experimental method is proposed on the basis of fracture mechanics concepts, and the validity is examined by tests on Cu (conductor metal)/TaN (barrier metal) interface in a large-scale integrated circuit. The critical stress intensity at delamination crack initiation is successfully analyzed by the boundary element method.