The effects of plasma exposure and vacuum ultraviolet irradiation on photopatternable low-k dielectric materials
- Plasma Processing and Technology Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)
- IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States)
The effects of plasma exposure and vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation on photopatternable low-k (PPLK) dielectric materials are investigated. In order to examine these effects, current-voltage measurements were made on PPLK materials before and after exposure to a variety of inert plasma-exposure conditions. In order to examine the effects of photon irradiation alone, PPLK samples were also exposed to monochromatic synchrotron radiation with 10 eV photon energy. It was found that plasma exposure causes significant degradation in electrical characteristics, resulting in increased leakage-currents and decreased breakdown voltage. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements also show appreciable carbon loss near the sample surface after plasma exposure. Conversely, VUV exposure was found to increase breakdown voltage and reduce leakage-current magnitudes.
- OSTI ID:
- 22218065
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 114, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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