David D. Hawn

Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of DNA Covalently Immobilized on a Functionalized Mica Substrate

A procedure for covalent binding of DNA to a functionalized mica substrate is described. The approach is based on photochemical cross-linking of DNA to immobilized psoralen derivatives. A tetrafluorphenyl (TFP) ester of trimethyl psoralen (trioxalen) was synthesized, and the procedure to immobilize it onto a functionalized aminopropyl mica surface (AP-mica) was developed. DNA molecules were cross-linked to trioxalen moieties by UV irradiation of complexes. The steps of the sample preparation procedure were analyzed with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results from XPS show that an AP-mica surface can be formed by vapor phase deposition of silane and that this surface can be derivatized with trioxalen. The derivatized surface is capable of binding of DNA molecules such that, after UV cross-linking, they withstand a thorough rinsing with SDS. Observations with atomic force microscopy showed that derivatized surfaces remain smooth, so DNA molecules are easily visualized. Linear and circular DNA molecules were photochemically immobilized on the surface. The molecules are distributed over the surface uniformly, indicating rather even modification of AP-mica with trioxalen. Generally, the shapes of supercoiled molecules electrostatically immobilized on AP-mica and those photocross-linked on trioxalen-functionalized surfaces remain quite similar. This suggests that UV cross-linking does not induce formation of a noticeable number of single-stranded breaks in DNA molecules.

Structures and properties of disordered boron carbide coatings generated by magnetron sputtering

Disordered boron carbide coatings with their high hardness, high lubricity, and low surface friction have become the coatings of choice to enhance the wear performance of many existing products. These coatings have been successfully commercialized using a magnetron sputtering process. In this paper, the effects of one of the critical process parameters, bias voltage, on the chemistry, microstructure, and the properties of the coatings are discussed. In combination with microstructure examination, special emphasis was made on nanoscopic level chemical analyses in order to explain the effects of this process parameter. The substrate bias was found to have strong effects on the hardness and the stress of the coating, but it has little influence on the frictional characteristics of the coating. The results of the examination and the analyses of the coating using FTIR, XPS, TEM, PEELS, and SIMS revealed that the morphology of the coating changed from a columnar structure to a continuous solid structure as the substrate bias voltage increased from 0 to 200 V. Oxide species were found in between the columns, while the columns mainly consisted of boron carbide with a boron to carbon atomic ratio of about 4. The atomic ratio of boron to carbon appeared to be independent of the substrate bias.

Adhesion Energy Measurements of Multilayer Low-K Dielectric Materials for ULSI Applications

Currently, the IC industry is researching the integration of a variety of materials to meet the low dielectric constant requirement for improved back-end of line (BEOL) interconnect performance. One critical dimension for successful ntegration of these new materials is maintaining mechanical integrity through multilayer processes. This includes both cohesive and adhesive fracture resistance. The latter adds additional complexity in that adhesive toughness is a function of the adherend materials and the processes used to join them. Hence, many good dielectric materials may be rematurely eliminated from further research not because of inherently poor adhesion but because of the necessity to optimize processing strategies. In this paper, we use the modified Edge Liftoff Test (m-ELT) to quantify the mechanical adhesion of multilayer blanket coatings. A specific example is used to demonstrate the utility of combining the m-ELT with surface analysis to optimize the reliability of low-K dielectric resins for use in ULSI applications. The system studied consists of a Cyclotene ™ 5021(BCB) low-K material integrated with CVD aluminum for single level, damascene structures. The effects of liner layer metallurgy and surface plasma treatments are measured. Surface analysis is done on the failed parts to understand the location of the failure. In this way recommendations for process optimization can be made.

Scanning Auger and Xps Studies of Fracture Surfaces of B 4 C Hot Pressed with Excess Carbon

A series of boron carbide materials was hot pressed with 0-7% excess carbon. The strength of each material was determined by four point bending, and found to decrease from about 600MPa to 300MPa as the carbon content increased from 0% to 7%. Diamond indentation yielded hardness values that decreased from 28.3 to 25.OGPa and toughness values that increased from 3.5 to 4.5 MPa√mover the same carbon range. Each sample was fractured in situ in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) and examined by scanning Auger microanalysis (SAM) and XPS to determine both the elemental and chemical state distributions. For the samples with excess carbon, localized carbonrich regions are observed on fracture surfaces by SAM. XPS reveals a 50% enhancement of excess carbon on the fracture surface compared to the bulk for the sample with 7% excess carbon. A correlation was observed between surface carbon composition and the bulk toughness and hardness. The C(ls) XPS spectra were utilized to determine the nature of carbon in B 4 C on freshly fractured and Ne + bombarded surfaces. Two distinct peaks were observed in the C(ls) region. Low dose ion bombardment resulted in a single broad C(ls) peak at the midpoint of the two initial peaks. It can be inferred from this data that there are C-C-C intericosahedral linkages in B 4 C.