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Characterization of oxygen and nitrogen rapid thermal annealing processes for ultra-low-k SiCOH films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Sungwoo Lee ,
Donggeun Jung ,
Jaeyoung Yang ,
Jin-hyo Boo ,
Hyoungsub Kim ,
Jaewon Lee  and
Heeyeop Chae
Sungwoo Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Brain Korea 21 Physics Research Division, Institute of Basic Science, and Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Donggeun Jung
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Brain Korea 21 Physics Research Division, Institute of Basic Science, and Center for Nanotubes and Nanostructured Composites, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Jaeyoung Yang
Affiliation:
Advanced Nano-Tech Development Team, Semiconductor Business, Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd., Eumseong-Gun, Chungbuk 369-852, Republic of Korea
Jin-hyo Boo
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Hyoungsub Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Jaewon Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Heeyeop Chae*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: hchae@skku.edu
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Abstract

Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) processing under N2 and O2 ambient is suggested and characterized in this work for improvement of SiCOH ultra-low-k (k = 2.4) film properties. Low-k film was deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) with decamethylcyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexane precursors. The PECVD films were treated by RTA processing in N2 and O2 environments at 550 °C for 5 min, and k values of 1.85 and 2.15 were achieved in N2 and O2 environments, respectively. Changes in the k value were correlated with the chemical composition of C–Hx and Si–O related groups determined from the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. As the treatment temperature was increased from 300 to 550 °C, the signal intensities of both the CHx and Si–CH3 peaks were markedly decreased. The hardness and modulus of the film processed by RTA have been determined as 0.44 and 3.95 GPa, respectively. Hardness and modulus of RTA-treated films were correlated with D-group [O2Si–(CH3)2] and T-group [O3Si–(CH3)] fractions determined from the FTIR Si–CH3 bending peak. The hardness and modulus improvement in this work is attributed to the increase of oxygen content in (O)x–Si–(CH3)y by rearrangement.

Keywords

Dielectric propertiesPlasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)Thin film
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , March 2008 , pp. 856 - 861
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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References

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