Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects
As semiconductor chips have been integrated to enhance their performance, a low-dielectric-constant material, SiCOH, with a relative dielectric constant <i>k</i> ≤ 3.5 has been widely used as an intermetal dielectric (IMD) material in multilevel interconnects to reduce the resistance-cap...
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/13/4663 |
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| author | Namwuk Baek Yoonsoo Park Hyuna Lim Jihwan Cha Taesoon Jang Shinwon Kang Seonhee Jang Donggeun Jung |
| author_facet | Namwuk Baek Yoonsoo Park Hyuna Lim Jihwan Cha Taesoon Jang Shinwon Kang Seonhee Jang Donggeun Jung |
| author_sort | Namwuk Baek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As semiconductor chips have been integrated to enhance their performance, a low-dielectric-constant material, SiCOH, with a relative dielectric constant <i>k</i> ≤ 3.5 has been widely used as an intermetal dielectric (IMD) material in multilevel interconnects to reduce the resistance-capacitance delay. Plasma-polymerized tetrakis(trimethylsilyoxy)silane (ppTTMSS) films were created using capacitively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with deposition plasma powers ranging from 20 to 60 W and then etched in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> plasma using reactive ion etching. No significant changes were observed in the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the ppTTMSS films after etching. The refractive index and dielectric constant were also maintained. As the deposition plasma power increased, the hardness and elastic modulus increased with increasing ppTTMSS film density. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra analysis showed that the oxygen concentration increased but the carbon concentration decreased after etching owing to the reaction between the plasma and film surface. With an increase in the deposition plasma power, the hardness and elastic modulus increased from 1.06 to 8.56 GPa and from 6.16 to 52.45 GPa. This result satisfies the hardness and elastic modulus exceeding 0.7 and 5.0 GPa, which are required for the chemical–mechanical polishing process in semiconductor multilevel interconnects. Furthermore, all leakage-current densities of the as-deposited and etched ppTTMSS films were measured below 10<sup>−6</sup> A/cm<sup>2</sup> at 1 MV/cm, which is generally acceptable for IMD materials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:36:16Z |
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| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:36:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
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| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-8503c29f401d48ab9cb1e1b3e43c606c2023-11-18T16:58:06ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442023-06-011613466310.3390/ma16134663Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel InterconnectsNamwuk Baek0Yoonsoo Park1Hyuna Lim2Jihwan Cha3Taesoon Jang4Shinwon Kang5Seonhee Jang6Donggeun Jung7Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of KoreaFoundry Metal Technology Team, Samsung Electronics, 190 Seoku-dong, Hwaseong-si 18448, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70503, USADepartment of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of KoreaAs semiconductor chips have been integrated to enhance their performance, a low-dielectric-constant material, SiCOH, with a relative dielectric constant <i>k</i> ≤ 3.5 has been widely used as an intermetal dielectric (IMD) material in multilevel interconnects to reduce the resistance-capacitance delay. Plasma-polymerized tetrakis(trimethylsilyoxy)silane (ppTTMSS) films were created using capacitively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with deposition plasma powers ranging from 20 to 60 W and then etched in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> plasma using reactive ion etching. No significant changes were observed in the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the ppTTMSS films after etching. The refractive index and dielectric constant were also maintained. As the deposition plasma power increased, the hardness and elastic modulus increased with increasing ppTTMSS film density. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra analysis showed that the oxygen concentration increased but the carbon concentration decreased after etching owing to the reaction between the plasma and film surface. With an increase in the deposition plasma power, the hardness and elastic modulus increased from 1.06 to 8.56 GPa and from 6.16 to 52.45 GPa. This result satisfies the hardness and elastic modulus exceeding 0.7 and 5.0 GPa, which are required for the chemical–mechanical polishing process in semiconductor multilevel interconnects. Furthermore, all leakage-current densities of the as-deposited and etched ppTTMSS films were measured below 10<sup>−6</sup> A/cm<sup>2</sup> at 1 MV/cm, which is generally acceptable for IMD materials.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/13/4663low dielectric materialintermetal dielectrictetrakis(trimethylsilyoxy)silanereactive ion etchingplasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition |
| spellingShingle | Namwuk Baek Yoonsoo Park Hyuna Lim Jihwan Cha Taesoon Jang Shinwon Kang Seonhee Jang Donggeun Jung Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects Materials low dielectric material intermetal dielectric tetrakis(trimethylsilyoxy)silane reactive ion etching plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition |
| title | Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects |
| title_full | Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects |
| title_fullStr | Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects |
| title_short | Change in Electrical/Mechanical Properties of Plasma Polymerized Low Dielectric Constant Films after Etching in CF<sub>4</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> Plasma for Semiconductor Multilevel Interconnects |
| title_sort | change in electrical mechanical properties of plasma polymerized low dielectric constant films after etching in cf sub 4 sub o sub 2 sub plasma for semiconductor multilevel interconnects |
| topic | low dielectric material intermetal dielectric tetrakis(trimethylsilyoxy)silane reactive ion etching plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/13/4663 |
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