(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2023-05-01)
Nellithala, Dheeraj Babu
Thin film capacitors and inductors have garnered significant research interest due to their compact size, lightweight nature, versatile integration capabilities, and superior performance characteristics in high-frequency applications. Researchers have been exploring novel materials, deposition techniques, and device architectures to enhance the efficiency and reliability of these essential components. Advancements in material synthesis, such as atomic layer deposition and chemical vapor deposition, have produced highly uniform and conformal thin films with superior electrical properties. Furthermore, developing sophisticated analytical techniques, including impedance spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, has facilitated a more in-depth understanding of the complex relationships between film composition, structure, and electrical behaviour. This research comprehensively investigates the impedance properties of insulating thin film capacitors, explicitly focusing on silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) materials, and conducting thin film inductors. The study examines the influence of critical parameters that affect the measurements, such as film thickness, the distance between the electrodes, electrode types, and equipment factors, on the overall performance of these devices.
The thin films were also characterized using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to verify their composition, thickness, and degree of crystallinity. For the insulating films, the results revealed a dependency of the impedance characteristics on film thickness but not pad distance. For the thin film inductors, optimizing the measurement cables enabled more accurate measurements of the resistance by minimizing the influence of parasitic components on the measured impedance.