Nonthermal combined ultraviolet and vacuum-ultraviolet curing process for organosilicate dielectrics

Journal Article · Mon Jun 13 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954176· OSTI ID:22590800

Zheng, H.; Guo, X.; Pei, D.; Li, W.; Blatz, J.; Hsu, K.; Benjamin, D.; Lin, Y. -H.; Fung, H. -S.; Chen, C. -C. ^[1]; Nishi, Y. ^[2]

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1. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan (China)
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

Porous SiCOH films are of great interest in semiconductor fabrication due to their low-dielectric constant properties. Post-deposition treatments using ultraviolet (UV) light on organosilicate thin films are required to decompose labile pore generators (porogens) and to ensure optimum network formation to improve the electrical and mechanical properties of low-k dielectrics. The goal of this work is to choose the best vacuum-ultraviolet photon energy in conjunction with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photons without the need for heating the dielectric to identify those wavelengths that will have the most beneficial effect on improving the dielectric properties and minimizing damage. VUV irradiation between 8.3 and 8.9 eV was found to increase the hardness and elastic modulus of low-k dielectrics at room temperature. Combined with UV exposures of 6.2 eV, it was found that this “UV/VUV curing” process is improved compared with current UV curing. We show that UV/VUV curing can overcome drawbacks of UV curing and improve the properties of dielectrics more efficiently without the need for high-temperature heating of the dielectric.

• OSTI ID: 22590800
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 108; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CURING
DAMAGE
DEPOSITION
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
FABRICATION
FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
HARDNESS
HEATING
IRRADIATION
PERMITTIVITY
POROUS MATERIALS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THIN FILMS
WAVELENGTHS