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.
Claims38
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 at least one chemical reagent comprising a structure-former precursor;
- and
- exposing the organosilicate film to an ultraviolet radiation source within a non-oxidizing atmosphere wherein the material hardness and the elastic modulus of the organosilicate film after the exposing step are higher than the material hardness and the elastic modulus of the organosilicate film before the exposing step.
A chemical vapor deposition method for improving a material hardness and an elastic modulus of an organosilicate film 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 into the vacuum chamber;
- applying energy to the at least one chemical reagent in the vacuum chamber to induce reaction of the at least one chemical reagent to deposit an organosilicate film on at least a portion of the substrate;
- and
- exposing the organosilicate film to an ultraviolet light source within a non-oxidizing atmosphere wherein the material hardness and the elastic modulus of the organosilicate material after the exposing step are higher than the material hardness and the elastic modulus of the organosilicate material before the exposing step.
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 wherein the at least one structure-former precursor and/or the organosilicate film exhibits an absorbance in the 200 to 400 nm wavelength range.
A mixture for depositing an organosilicate film having a dielectric constant of 2.7 or below, 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 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 an organosilicate film comprising a structure-former phase and a pore-former phase dispersed within the structure-former phase onto at least a portion of a substrate wherein the organosilicate film has a first dielectric constant, a first hardness, and a first material 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 phase contained therein and provide the porous organosilicate film wherein the porous organosilicate film has a second dielectric constant, a second hardness, and a second material 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 material modulus is at least 25% greater than that of the first hardness and the first material modulus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.