Effect of N2O plasma treatment on the stabilization of water absorption in fluorinated silicon-oxide thin films fabricated by electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition

Abstract

The variation of residual stress with the water absorption was reduced drastically by the N2O plasma treatment for fluorinated silicon-oxide thin films. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the film was oxidized by the plasma treatment. It was also determined that the oxidation occurred on the film surface from the P-etch rate and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The experimental results show that the stabilization results from the oxidation of the surface by the N2O plasma treatment.

Perhydropolysilazane spin-on dielectrics for inter-layer-dielectric applications of sub-30 nm silicon technology

“…Unstable and porous oxides, such as fluorinated silicon oxide, are known to be vulnerable to 'water absorption' and thereby degrading the electrical and mechanical properties of the films [15]. One way to suppress the water absorption is to form a stabilized surface for the oxide using N 2 O plasma treatment (PT) [16]. We examined the effects of N 2 O PT on the electrical characteristics of metal contacts (0.35 μm diameter) opened through the PHPS ILD.…”