Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Using a new multi-dimensional contact mechanics system, it was recently shown that the experimentally measured tangential to normal stiffness ratio of a contact can be described as a function of the bulk Poisson's ratio of the material as predicted by Mindlin [1-3]. This system has been utilized to measure the normal and tangential elastic contact stiffness of a series of porous low-k films, with increasing starting porogen content. These results indicate a transition from a material-controlled elastic behavior to a structure-controlled elastic behavior as the porosity of the film is increased. These structural effects and their potential influence on the mechanical response to forces imposed on integrated circuits are discussed. The experimental details and apparatus are introduced and described.