Evidence of Plasticity‐Driven Conductivity Drop in an Ultra‐Low‐k Dielectric Organosilicate Glass

Advanced devices (for microelectronics, energy storage, power sourcing) are complex architectures of metals and dielectrics subjected to harsh mechanical stresses. The functional reliability the embedded is driven by their ability preserve electrical properties (such as leakage breakdown). Accordingly, understanding interplay between behaviors dielectric films critical predict lifetime devices. In this study, effect plastic deformation on conduction an ultra-low-k film elucidated combining in situ advanced experiments finite element modeling. Experimentally, “electrical-nanoindentation” tests emphasize strong correlation failures (leakage degradation, breakdown, plasticity, cracking). These also reveal a counterintuitive drop under high This phenomenon reproduced numerically correcting Poole–Frenkel law with strain-dependent factor, described analytically terms space-charge build-up induced trapping holes at mechanically generated defects. A threshold strain identified keystone relating current line distribution within dielectric. study provides new mechanical/electrical couplings dielectrics, which opens promising insights into issues for