Imaging thin films of nanoporous low-k dielectrics: comparison between ultramicrotomy and focused ion beam preparations for transmission electron microscopy. |
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Authors: | Leslie E Thompson Philip M Rice Eugene Delenia Victor Y Lee Phillip J Brock Teddie P Magbitang Geraud Dubois Willi Volksen Robert D Miller Ho-Cheol Kim |
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Institution: | IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA 95120-6099, USA. |
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Abstract: | Ultramicrotomy, the technique of cutting nanometers-thin slices of material using a diamond knife, was applied to prepare transmission electron microscope (TEM) specimens of nanoporous poly(methylsilsesquioxane) (PMSSQ) thin films. This technique was compared to focused ion beam (FIB) cross-section preparation to address possible artifacts resulting from deformation of nanoporous microstructure during the sample preparation. It was found that ultramicrotomy is a successful TEM specimen preparation method for nanoporous PMSSQ thin films when combined with low-energy ion milling as a final step. A thick, sacrificial carbon coating was identified as a method of reducing defects from the FIB process which included film shrinkage and pore deformation. |
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