Ultraviolet-Curing Mechanism of Porous-SiOC

Ushio, Jiro; Ohno, Takahisa; Hamada, Tomoyuki; Nakao, Shin-ichi; Yoneda, Katsumi; Kato, Manabu; Kobayashi, Nozomu

doi:10.1143/jjap.46.l405

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Although different techniques have been evaluated for porogen removal and curing, EB and UV curing found most extensive application because they offered the opportunity to process at temperatures of ∼400C for short durations (few minutes) and to achieve porous films with better mechanical properties. 61,83,84,85 Many similarities have been evidenced with EB and UV treatments: both curing remove efficiently the porogen from the deposited films but they can also react with some skeleton bonds (such as Si-CH3, Si-H, and (Si-OH)), leading to the increase of the Si-O-Si cross-links concentration. 61 However, because EB cure can induce potential damages of certain types of active devices, it was abandoned by some manufacturers in favor to UV treatment.…”

Section: Ii2 Uv Curingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of VUV photons on SiO2 and organosilicate low-k dielectrics: General behavior, practical applications, and atomic models

Baklanov

Jousseaume

Рахимова

et al. 2019

Applied Physics Reviews

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This paper presents an in-depth overview of the application and impact of UV/VUV light in advanced interconnect technology. UV light application in BEOL historically was mainly motivated by the need to remove organic porogen and generate porosity in organosilicate (OSG) low-k films. Porosity lowered the film's dielectric constant, k, which enables one to reduce the interconnect wiring capacitance contribution to the RC signal delay in integrated circuits. The UV-based low-k film curing (λ > 200 nm) proved superior to thermal annealing and electron beam curing. UV and VUV light also play a significant role in plasma-induced damage to pSiCOH. VUV light with λ < 190–200 nm is able to break Si-CH3 bonds and to make low-k materials hydrophilic. The following moisture adsorption degrades the low-k properties and reliability. This fact motivated research into the mechanisms of UV/VUV photon interactions in pSiCOH films and in other materials used in BEOL nanofabrication. Today, the mechanisms of UV/VUV photon interactions with pSiCOH and other films used in interconnect fabrication are fairly well understood after nearly two decades of research. This understanding has allowed engineers to both control the damaging effects of photons and utilize the UV light for material engineering and nanofabrication processes. Some UV-based technological solutions, such as low-k curing and UV-induced stress engineering, have already been widely adopted for high volume manufacturing. Nevertheless, the challenges in nanoscaling technology may promote more widespread adoption of photon-assisted processing. We hope that fundamental insights and prospected applications described in this article will help the reader to find the optimal way in this wide and rapidly developing technology area.

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Section: Ii2 Uv Curingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of VUV photons on SiO2 and organosilicate low-k dielectrics: General behavior, practical applications, and atomic models

Baklanov

Jousseaume

Рахимова

et al. 2019

Applied Physics Reviews

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“…As reported in many papers, UV light has been applied as a curing technique to low-k film for polymerization and porogen burnout. [9][10][11] However, excessive UV light irradiation accelerates the carbon depletion in low-k film. As a result, it causes k-value increase, moisture uptake, and mechanical strength change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hard-Mask-Through UV-Light-Induced Damage to Low-k Film during Plasma Process for Dual Damascene

Matsunaga

Okumura

Jinnai

et al. 2010

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

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Plasma irradiation impact on a SiO2-hardmask/SiOCH low-k film stacked structure was investigated in detail. The plasma irradiation induces damage to the low-k film although it is covered by a hard mask. The hard-mask-through UV-light-induced damage showed plasma source gas dependence. The damage is determined by the UV light wavelength and photon energy. It was also found that a high substrate temperature accelerates the hard-mask-through UV-light-induced damage. The hard-mask-through UV-light-induced damage was hardly seen for the hard masks thicker than 115 nm in the O2-irradiation experiment. Conversely, an actual SiO2 film deposition process by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) induces damage during deposition. The PE-CVD process induces heavier damage to the low-k film than the O2-plasma experiment. Higher process temperature accelerates the hard-mask-through UV-light-induced damage in the hard mask SiO2 deposition process.

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“…Mechanical properties are improved but hydrophobic properties become significantly worse. In the region of 200-400 nm the impact of photochemical reac-Table 1 Possible reactions during UV and VUV irradiation and their reaction energies (i.e., differences between energies of reactants and those of products) [2]. tions is low because of low low-k absorption.…”

Section: Original Papermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The low-k dielectrics UV curing processes could solve this issue. The combined action of UV radiation and thermal activation is shown to generate a rearrangement in the bonding structure of the SiCOH based low-k [2]. As a result, the mechanical properties are improved, but the hydrophilicity increases.…”

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confidence: 99%

Stiffening and hydrophilisation of SOG low‐k material studied by ellipsometric porosimetry, UV ellipsometry and laser‐induced surface acoustic waves

Urbanowicz

Meshman²,

Schneider

et al. 2008

Physica Status Solidi (a)

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In this paper we evaluate the correlation between UV light absorption of SOG (spin‐on glass) low dielectric constant (low‐k) films and chemical changes induced by an excimer UV source at several wavelengths: 172 nm, 222 nm, and 308 nm. Low‐k absorption in the UV range was measured by nitrogen purged UV ellipsometry. It is shown that im‐ provement of mechanical properties is accompanied by degradation (hydrophilisation) of low‐k films. Changes in hydrophobic properties were evaluated by water‐source ellipsometric porosimetry (WEP). The Young's moduli of the films were measured by laser‐induced surface acoustic waves (LAwaves). (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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Ultraviolet-Curing Mechanism of Porous-SiOC

Cited by 16 publications

References 11 publications

Impact of VUV photons on SiO2 and organosilicate low-k dielectrics: General behavior, practical applications, and atomic models

Impact of VUV photons on SiO2 and organosilicate low-k dielectrics: General behavior, practical applications, and atomic models

Hard-Mask-Through UV-Light-Induced Damage to Low-k Film during Plasma Process for Dual Damascene

Stiffening and hydrophilisation of SOG low‐k material studied by ellipsometric porosimetry, UV ellipsometry and laser‐induced surface acoustic waves

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