Patent US6448187B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6448187B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of improving moisture resistance of low dielectric constant films
Assignee: Applied Materials Inc
•
Filing: 2001-02-21
•
Granted: 2002-09-10
•
Expires: 2021-02-21
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film includes depositing a silicon oxide based film, preferably by reaction of an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas at a low RF power level from about 10W to about 500W, exposing the silicon oxide based film to water or a hydrophobic-imparting surfactant such as hexamethyldisilazane, and curing the silicon oxide based film at an elevated temperature. Dissociation of the oxidizing gas can be increased in a separate microwave chamber to assist in controlling the carbon content of the deposited film. The moisture resistance of the silicon oxide based films is enhanced.
Inventors
- 👤 Wai-Fan Yau
- 👤 David Cheung
- 👤 Nasreen Gazala Chopra
- 👤 Yung-Cheng Lu
- 👤 Robert Mandal
- 👤 Farhad Moghadam
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:10
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/66; H10P14/668; H10P14/6681; H10P14/6682; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/22; C23C16/30; C23C16/40; C23C16/401; C23C16/56; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/65; H10P14/6516; H10P14/6529; H10P14/6534; H10P14/6546; H10P14/662; H10P14/6336; H10P14/6342; H10P14/6502; H10P14/6506; H10P14/6684; H10P14/6686; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/69215; H10P14/6922; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/071; H10W20/081; H10W20/084
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for processing a substrate, comprising; depositing a first material; depositing a low dielectric constant material contacting the first material, wherein the low dielectric constant material is a constant material is a silicon oxide based material comprising carbon-silicon bonds and a carbon content of between about 1% and about 50% by atomic weight on a substrate; exposing the low dielectric constant material to water or a hydrophobic-imparting surfactant; and curing the low dielectric constant material; and then depositing a seecond material contacting the low dielectric constant material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for processing a substrate, comprising; depositing a first material; depositing a low dielectric constant material contacting the first material, wherein the low dielectric constant material is a constant material is a silicon oxide based material comprising carbon-silicon bonds and a carbon content of between about 1% and about 50% by atomic weight on a substrate; exposing the low dielectric constant material to water or a hydrophobic-imparting surfactant; and curing the low dielectric constant material; and then depositing a seecond material contacting the low dielectric constant material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises metal lines and the second material comprises a gap-fill dielectric material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a first dielectric layer, the low dielectric constant material comprises an etch stop or adhesion layer, and the second material comprises a second dielectric layer or etch stop.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 3 , further comprising etching the first dielectric layer to define one or more vertical interconnects and etching the second dielectric layer to define one or more horizontal interconnects.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a dielectric layer, the low dielectric constant material comprises an etch stop, adhesion layer, or dielectric layer, and the second material comprises a barrier layer or metal layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a first dielectric layer comprising one or more vertical interconnects, the low dielectric constant material comprises an etch stop, adhesion layer, or dielectric layer, and the second material comprises a second dielectric layer contacting the first dielectric layer and defining one or more horizontal interconnects.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is deposited by reacting one or more silicon compounds that contain carbon with an oxidizing gas at an RF power level from about 10W to about 500W.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more silicon compounds are selected from a group consisting of methylsilane, dimethylsilane, trimethylsilane, disilanomethane, bis(methylsilano)methane, 1,2-disilanoethane, 1,2-bis(methylsilano)ethane, 2,2-disilanopropane, 1,3,5-trisilano-2,4,6-trimethylene, 1,3-dimethyldisiloxane, 1,3-bis(silanomethylene)disiloxane, bis(1-methyldisiloxanyl)methane, 2,2-bis(1-methyldisiloxanyl)-propane, 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-cyclotetrasiloxane, 2,4,6,8,10-pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane, 1,3,5,7-tetrasilano-2,6-dioxy-4,8-dimethylene, fluorinated carbon derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof and combinations thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is exposed to a surfactant selected from a group consisting of hexamethyldisilazane, trimethyl-silyldiethylamine, phenyldimethylsilyldimethylamine, trimethoxysilyldimethylamine, tris(trifluoromethyl)-silyldimethylamine, bis(trimethylsilyl)hydrazine, 1-phenyldimethylsilyl-2-methyl-hydrazine, 1-trimethoxysilyl-2-methylhydrazine, 1-tris(trifluoromethylsilyl)-2-methyl-hydrazine, and trimethylchlorosilane, and is cured at a temperature from about 100° C. to about 450° C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant has a carbon content between about 5% and about 30% by atomic weight.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is exposed to the hydrophobic-imparting surfactant and heated to a temperature between about 10°C and about 100° C.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing gas is N 2 O or O 2 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is deposited at a chamber pressure from about 0.2 Torr to about 2 Torr.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant material is deposited at a substrate temperature from about −20° C. to about 400° C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the low dielectric constant material has a dielectric constant of about 3 or less.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
117 words
A method for processing a substrate, comprising: depositing a first material; depositing a silicon oxide based on material comprising carbon-silicon bonds and a carbon content of between about 1% and about 50% by atomic weight on a substrate by reacting one or more silicon compounds that contain carbon with an oxidizing gas at an RF plasma condicitions: exposing the silicon oxide-based material to water at a temperature from about 50° C. to about 100° C., or to a hydrophobic-imparting surfactant at a temperature from about 10°C. to about 100° C.; curing the silicon oxide based material at a temperature from about 100° to about 400° C.; and depositing a second material on the silicon oxide based material.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
117 words
A method for processing a substrate, comprising: depositing a first material; depositing a silicon oxide based on material comprising carbon-silicon bonds and a carbon content of between about 1% and about 50% by atomic weight on a substrate by reacting one or more silicon compounds that contain carbon with an oxidizing gas at an RF plasma condicitions: exposing the silicon oxide-based material to water at a temperature from about 50° C. to about 100° C., or to a hydrophobic-imparting surfactant at a temperature from about 10°C. to about 100° C.; curing the silicon oxide based material at a temperature from about 100° to about 400° C.; and depositing a second material on the silicon oxide based material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the first material comprises metal lines and the second material comprises a gap-fill dielectric material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the first material comprises a first dielectric layer, the silicon oxide based material comprises an etch stop or adhesion layer, and the second material comprises a second dielectric layer or etch stop.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 18 , further comprising etching the first dielectric layer to define one or more vertical interconnects and etching the second dielectric layer to define one or more horizontal interconnects.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the first material comprises a dielectric layer, the silicon oxide based material comprises an etch stop, adhesion layer, or dielectric layer, and the second material comprises a barrier layer or metal layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the first material is a first dielectric layer comprising one or more vertical interconnects, the silicon oxide based material comprises an etch stop, adhesion layer, or dielectric layer, and the second material comprises a second dielectric layer contacting the first dielectric layer and defining one or more horizontal interconnects.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein the silicon oxide-based film is cured at a temperature at or above about 400° C.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more silicon compounds are selected from a group consisting of methylsilane, dimethylsilane, trimethylsilane, disilanomethane, bis(methylsilano)methane, 1,2-disilanoethane, 1,2-bis(methylsilano)ethane, 2,2-disilanopropane, 1,3,5-trisilano-2,4,6-trimethylene, 1,3-dimethyldisiloxane, 1,3-bis(silanomethylene)disiloxane, bis(1-methyldisiloxanyl)methane, 2,2-bis(1-methyldisiloxanyl)-propane, 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-cyclotetrasiloxane, 2,4,6,8,10-pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane, 1,3,5,7-tetrasilano-2,6-dioxy-4,8-dimethylene, fluorinated carbon derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicon oxide based film is exposed to a surfactant selected from a group consisting of hexamethyldisilazane, trimethyl-silyldiethylamine, phenyldimethylsilyldimethylamine, trimethoxysilyldimethylamine, tris(trifluoromethyl)-silyldimethylamine, bis(trimethylsilyl)hydrazine, 1-phenyldimethylsilyl-2-methyl-hydrazine, 1-trimethoxysilyl-2-methylhydrazine, 1-tris(trifluoromethylsilyl)-2-methyl-hydrazine, and trimethylchlorosilane, and is cured at a temperature from about 100° C. to about 450° C.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicon oxide based material has a carbon content between about 5% and about 30% by atomic weight.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicon oxide-based material is exposed to the hydrophobic-imparting surfactant and heated to a temperature between about 10°C and about 100° C.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the oxidizing gas is N 2 O or O 2 .
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicon oxide based material is deposited at a chamber pressure from about 0.2 Torr to about 2 Torr.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicon oxide based material is deposited at a substrate temperature from about −20° C. to about 400° C.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the silicon oxide based material has a dielectric constant of about 3 or less.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5093153A
Cited
US5298587A
Cited
US5521126A
Cited
US5950101A
Cited
US5723909A
Cited
US5494712A
Cited
US5554570A
Cited
US5626924A
Cited
US5638251A
Cited
US5789325A
Cited
US6054379A
Cited
US6072227A
Cited
US6147009A
Cited
US6245690B1
Cited
US6114259A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-09 | 2006-03-11 | 2006-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-09 | 2010-03-11 | 2010-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-09 | 2014-03-11 | 2014-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |