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Applied Physics Reviews / Volume 2012 / APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS—FOCUSED REVIEW

J. Appl. Phys. 112, 111101 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4751317 (15 pages)

The effects of vacuum ultraviolet radiation on low-k dielectric films

H. Sinha1, H. Ren1, M. T. Nichols1, J. L. Lauer1, M. Tomoyasu2, N. M. Russell2, G. Jiang3, G. A. Antonelli3, N. C. Fuller4, S. U. Engelmann4, Q. Lin4, V. Ryan5, Y. Nishi6, and J. L. Shohet1

1University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
2Tokyo Electron Limited, Albany, New York 12203, USA
3Novellus Systems, Tualatin, Oregon 97062, USA
4IBM Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA
5GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Albany, New York 12203, USA
6Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA

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(Received 2 September 2011; accepted 13 August 2012; published online 4 December 2012)

Plasmas, known to emit high levels of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, are used in the semiconductor industry for processing of low-k organosilicate glass (SiCOH) dielectric device structures. VUV irradiation induces photoconduction, photoemission, and photoinjection. These effects generate trapped charges within the dielectric film, which can degrade electrical properties of the dielectric. The amount of charge accumulation in low-k dielectrics depends on factors that affect photoconduction, photoemission, and photoinjection. Changes in the photo and intrinsic conductivities of SiCOH are also ascribed to the changes in the numbers of charged traps generated during VUV irradiation. The dielectric-substrate interface controls charge trapping by affecting photoinjection of charged carriers into the dielectric from the substrate. The number of trapped charges increases with increasing porosity of SiCOH because of charge trapping sites in the nanopores. Modifications to these three parameters, i.e., (1) VUV induced charge generation, (2) dielectric-substrate interface, and (3) porosity of dielectrics, can be used to reduce trapped-charge accumulation during processing of low-κ SiCOH dielectrics. Photons from the plasma are responsible for trapped-charge accumulation within the dielectric, while ions stick primarily to the surface of the dielectrics. In addition, as the dielectric constant was decreased by adding porosity, the defect concentrations increased.

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
  2. CHARGE TRAPPING
  3. EXPOSURE SYSTEMS
    1. Synchrotron radiation
    2. Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma
  4. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
    1. Substrate/photoemission currents
    2. VUV spectroscopy
    3. Surface-potential measurements
    4. Capacitance-voltage characteristics
    5. Electron-spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy
  5. DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
  6. SYNCHROTRON EXPOSURE
    1. VUV spectroscopy
    2. CV and surface potential measurements
    3. Effect of ultraviolet (UV) curing on charge trapping
    4. Effect of dielectric-substrate interface on charge trapping
    5. Effect of porosity on charge trapping
  7. PLASMA EXPOSURE
    1. Charge accumulation in low-k dielectrics
    2. Modifications of chemical bonds and physical changes
  8. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

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KEYWORDS, PACS, and IPC

Keywords

charge injection, electron traps, glass, low-k dielectric thin films, nanoporous materials, organic compounds, permittivity, photoconductivity, photoemission, porosity, silicon compounds, ultraviolet radiation effects

PACS

  • 72.20.Jv

    Charge carriers: generation, recombination, lifetime, and trapping

  • 61.80.Ba

    Ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation effects (including laser radiation)

  • 77.55.Bh

    Low-permittivity dielectric films

  • 73.50.Pz

    Photoconduction and photovoltaic effects

  • 72.40.+w

    Photoconduction and photovoltaic effects

  • 77.22.Ch

    Permittivity (dielectric function)

International Patent Classification (IPC)

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4751317

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

1931-9401 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

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