Patent · US Expired

Capping layer for extreme low dielectric constant films

US6875687B1 · kind B1 · utility

66Cited by
40References
54Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 18, 2000
Grant dateApr 5, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 3, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S438/97
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Specific embodiments of the invention provide a silicon-carbide-type or silicon oxycarbide (also often called carbon-doped-oxide [CDO] or organosilicate glass) capping material and method for depositing this capping material on ELK films which are used as a dielectric material in integrated circuits. The ELK film may include any ELK film including but not limited to inorganic, organic and hybrid dielectric materials and their respective porous versions. The silicon-carbide-type material may be an amorphous silicon carbide type material such as the commercially available BLOk™ material, or a carbon-doped oxide material such as the commercially available Black Diamond™ both of which are developed by Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif. The amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) material is deposited using a plasma process in a non-oxidizing environment and the CDO-type material is deposited using an oxygen-starved plasma process. The non-oxidative or oxygen-starved plasma processes do not significantly degrade the underlying film's chemical and electrical properties. The CDO material offers the advantageous property of having a lower dielectric constant value of less than 3.5 as oppos…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.