Chemical treatment of low-k dielectric films

US6838300B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Changming Jin · Plano, US
• Phillip D. Matz · McKinney, US
• Heungsoo Park · McKinney, US
• Patricia B. Smith · Colleyville, US
• Andrew John McKerrow · Dallas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 4, 2003
• Grant date: Jan 4, 2005
• Expiry date: Feb 4, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/0332
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method of forming an integrated circuit including an organosilicate low dielectric constant insulating layer (40) formed of a substitution group depleted silicon oxide, such as an organosilicate glass, is disclosed. Subsequent plasma processing has been observed to break bonds in such an insulating layer (40), resulting in molecules at the surface of the film with dangling bonds. Eventually, the damaged insulating layer (40) includes silanol molecules, which results in a degraded film. The disclosed method exposes the damaged insulating layer (40) to a thermally or plasma activated fluorine, hydrogen, or nitrogen, which reacts with the damaged molecules to form a passivated surface for the insulating layer (40).