Mechanical enhancement of dense and porous organosilicate materials by UV exposure
AssigneeAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.
InventorsAaron Scott Lukas, Mark Leonard O'Neill, Jean Louise Vincent, Raymond Nicholas Vrtis, Mark Daniel Bitner, Eugene Joseph Karwacki JR.
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Abstract
Low dielectric materials and films comprising same have been identified for improved performance when used as interlevel dielectrics in integrated circuits as well as methods for making same. In one aspect of the present invention, an organosilicate glass film is exposed to an ultraviolet light source wherein the film after exposure has an at least 10% or greater improvement in its mechanical properties (i.e., material hardness and elastic modulus) compared to the as-deposited film.
Claims37
A process for improving a material hardness and an elastic modulus of an organosilicate film, the process comprising:
- depositing the organosilicate film onto at least a portion of a substrate via chemical vapor deposition of an at least one chemical reagent comprising a structure-former precursor to provide the organosilicate film having a first material hardness and a first elastic modulus;
- and
- exposing the organosilicate film to an ultraviolet radiation source within a non-oxidizing atmosphere to provide the organosilicate film having a second material hardness and a second elastic modulus wherein the second material hardness and the second elastic modulus are at least 10% higher than the first material hardness and the first elastic modulus.
A method for improving a material hardness and an elastic modulus of a porous organosilicate film deposited by chemical vapor deposition represented by the formula SivOwCxHyFz, where v+w+x+y+z=100%, v is from 10 to 35 atomic %, w is from 10 to 65 atomic %, x is from 5 to 30 atomic %, y is from 10 to 50 atomic %, and z is from 0 to 15 atomic %, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate within a vacuum chamber;
- introducing at least one chemical reagent comprising a structure-former precursor selected from the group consisting of an organosilane and an organosiloxane and a pore-former precursor into the vacuum chamber;
- applying energy to the at least one chemical reagent in the vacuum chamber to induce reaction of the reagent to deposit a composite film comprised of a pore-former material and a structure-former material on at least a portion of the substrate;
- and
- exposing the composite film to an ultraviolet light source within a non-oxidizing atmosphere to provide a porous organosilicate film wherein the material hardness and the elastic modulus of the porous organosilicate film after the exposing step are higher than the material hardness and the elastic modulus of the the composite film before the exposing step and wherein the porous organosilicate film is substantially free of Si—OH bonds.
A mixture for depositing an organosilicate film comprising a dielectric constant of 3.5 or below, the mixture comprising at least one structure-former precursor selected from the group consisting of an organosilane and an organosiloxane and a pore-former precursor wherein at least one precursor and/or the organosilicate film exhibits an absorbance in the 200 to 400 nm wavelength range.
A mixture for depositing an organosilicate film, the mixture comprising:
- from 5 to 95% by weight of a structure-former precursor selected from the group consisting of an organosilane and an organosiloxane and from 5 to 95% by weight of a pore-former precursor wherein at least one of the precursors and/or the organosilicate film exhibits an absorbance in the 200 to 400 nm wavelength range.
A process for preparing a porous organosilicate film having a dielectric constant of 2.7 or less, the process comprising:
- forming a composite film comprising a structure-former material and a pore-former material onto at least a portion of a substrate wherein the organosilicate film has a first dielectric constant, a first hardness, and a first elastic modulus;
- and
- exposing the film to at least one ultraviolet light source within a non-oxidizing atmosphere to remove at least a portion of the pore-former material contained therein and provide the porous organosilicate film wherein the porous organosilicate film has a second dielectric constant, a second hardness, and a second elastic modulus and wherein the second dielectric constant is at least 5% less than the first dielectric constant, the second hardness is at least 10% greater than the first hardness, and the second elastic modulus is at least 10% greater than the first material modulus;
- and
- heating the organosilicate film wherein the heating step is conducted prior to the exposing step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.