Thermal and Electrical Properties of BCB-Liner Through-Silicon Vias

Through-silicon vias (TSVs) using benzocyclobutene (BCB)-liners as the insulator have the potential for reducing the TSV capacitances and the thermal expansion stresses. This paper reports the assessments of BCB-liner TSVs with respect to thermal and electrical properties. The C-V and I-V characteristics are measured at room temperature and at an elevated temperature as high as 125°C to characterize the electrical properties of capacitance and leakage current at different temperatures. Some C-V and I-V features associated with BCB-liners are discussed and the mechanisms are analyzed. Thermal cycling between -65°C and 150°C is performed, and the C-V and I-V characteristics are measured before and after thermal cycling to evaluate the thermomechanical stability of the BCB-liners, and the results show that the C-V and I-V properties are improved after thermal cycling. These preliminary results on the electrical and thermal properties of BCB-liner TSVs show that they have good thermal stability.