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<p>Fracture of SiN<sub>x</sub> layers within a semiconductor device can cause detrimental reliability issues, and measurement of fracture toughness is key in addressing this limitation. In this study, the fracture toughness of sputtered amorphous SiN<sub>x</sub> thin film was quantitatively evaluated using an energy-based nanoindentation method. Analysis of crack morphologies as a function of maximum indentation load revealed a sequential fracture process in 970&#xa0;nm-thick SiN<sub>x</sub> film, consisting of delamination, buckling, and subsequent ring crack formation. The initiation of ring crack formation induced distinct pop-in event in the load–depth curves, which corresponded to an abrupt jump in the irreversible work (<InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\:{W}_{irr}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>​)–maximum load (<InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\:{P}_{max}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>​) plot. The energy released during ring crack formation was quantified from the difference in <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\:{W}_{irr}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> with and without ring crack formation at identical maximum load. The calculated fracture toughness was in agreement with expectations with a value of <InlineEquation ID="IEq4"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(\:6.83\:MPa\sqrt{m}\)</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, which is indicative of high reliability of the energy-based method analysis. In contrast, the 94&#xa0;nm-thick SiN<sub>x</sub> film exhibited no significant interfacial delamination under increasing indentation loads. Instead, radial crack propagation through film to substrate and irregular chippings were observed, highlighting the limitations of applying the energy-based method in such thin films. This work demonstrates both the applicability and the thickness-dependent limitations of the energy-based fracture toughness measurement for thin films, providing essential insights for optimizing process parameters to ensure reliability in semiconductor devices with thin coatings.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Fracture Toughness Analysis of Sputtered SiNx Thin Films by Energy-Based Nanoindentation Method

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月15日

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  • In Hyeok Yeo,
  • Yun Taek Park,
  • Hee Jin Kim,
  • Dong Ryul Lee,
  • Sung Ho Lee,
  • Seung Min Han

摘要

Fracture of SiNx layers within a semiconductor device can cause detrimental reliability issues, and measurement of fracture toughness is key in addressing this limitation. In this study, the fracture toughness of sputtered amorphous SiNx thin film was quantitatively evaluated using an energy-based nanoindentation method. Analysis of crack morphologies as a function of maximum indentation load revealed a sequential fracture process in 970 nm-thick SiNx film, consisting of delamination, buckling, and subsequent ring crack formation. The initiation of ring crack formation induced distinct pop-in event in the load–depth curves, which corresponded to an abrupt jump in the irreversible work ( \(\:{W}_{irr}\) ​)–maximum load ( \(\:{P}_{max}\) ​) plot. The energy released during ring crack formation was quantified from the difference in \(\:{W}_{irr}\) with and without ring crack formation at identical maximum load. The calculated fracture toughness was in agreement with expectations with a value of \(\:6.83\:MPa\sqrt{m}\) , which is indicative of high reliability of the energy-based method analysis. In contrast, the 94 nm-thick SiNx film exhibited no significant interfacial delamination under increasing indentation loads. Instead, radial crack propagation through film to substrate and irregular chippings were observed, highlighting the limitations of applying the energy-based method in such thin films. This work demonstrates both the applicability and the thickness-dependent limitations of the energy-based fracture toughness measurement for thin films, providing essential insights for optimizing process parameters to ensure reliability in semiconductor devices with thin coatings.

Graphical Abstract