Submicron mapping of strain distributions induced by three-dimensional through-silicon via features

Strain distributions within the active layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate induced by through-silicon via (TSV) structures were mapped using x-ray microbeam diffraction. The interaction region of the out-of-plane strain, ε33, from a TSV feature containing copper metallization extended approximately 6 μm from the TSV outer edge for circular and annular geometries. Measurements conducted on identical TSV structures without copper reveal that strain fields generated by the liner materials extend a similar distance and with comparable magnitude as those with copper. FEM-based simulations show the total interaction region induced by the TSV can extend farther than that of ε33.