Breakdown Experiments

In this section a set of dynamic applied field experiments are presented. We designed these experiments to study intrinsic and metal-catalyzed failure. Techniques such as ramped voltage sweeps and bipolar applied field tests are utilized to characterize fundamental aspects of breakdown in thin low-κ films. We studied intrinsic breakdown using inert (Au) and self-limiting electrodes (Al). Metal-catalyzed failure was investigated by employing reactive electrodes such as Cu and Ag, and we present a model for the transport of ionic species and their impact on dielectric failure. The motion of ions is correlated with field form, polarity, and magnitude. This chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the impact of plasma treatments and moisture on dielectric breakdown and its fundamental failure mechanisms.