Cyclic Deformation Behaviour of Cu Multilayered Films on Si Substrates

Abstract

In the present study the high cycle fatigue behaviour of multilayered Cu films with different thicknesses and microstructure on silicon substrate was investigated. An ultrasonic resonance fatigue testing systems was used to study the isothermal mechanical fatigue behaviour of the Cu multilayers at room temperature and 150°C. Investigations of fatigue damage on the surface of the samples showed distinct slip band formation on preferentially oriented grains of the Cu metallization. The degree of fatigue damage, which could be related to the thickness, grain size and orientation of the Cu films, was evaluated by determination of the slip band density as a function of loading cycles. It was found that with increasing film thickness and grain size the density of deformed area strongly increases, with the majority of surface deformation occurring in the grains with ⟨111⟩ orientation with respect to the film surface. Furthermore increasing the testing temperature resulted in a significant degradation ofthe multilayered film stack due to a considerable increase in the degree of plastic deformation of theCu metallization layer.