Process for sealing plasma-damaged, porous low-k materials

US7138333B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Michael J. Schmidt · Queen Creek, US
• Georg Tempel · Zorneding, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 3, 2004
• Grant date: Nov 21, 2006
• Expiry date: Sep 3, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/02203
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for sealing plasma-damaged, porous low-k materials on Si substrates, in which self-aligning molecules (SAMs) are applied to the low-k material, and then a diffusion barrier is applied to the low-k material. The invention is based on the object of providing a process for sealing plasma-damaged, porous low-k materials on Si substrates, which allows an improved distribution of the SAMs to be achieved, in particular in the case of structures with a high aspect ratio, and which allows the low-k materials to be repaired, dewatered and sealed. According to the invention, this is achieved by virtue of the fact that the deposition of the SAMs is carried out using a supercritical CO2 process (scCO2 process), by the wafers being introduced into a process chamber, that CO2 and SAMs are introduced into the process chamber and the process chamber is pressurized, that the wafers are heated to a temperature of over 35° C. up to 300° C., and that the ambient conditions in the process chamber are maintained for a predetermined period of time.