Low dielectric constant material for integrated circuit fabrication
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing electrical isolation between conductive elements in an integrated circuit, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a partially fabricated integrated circuit;
reacting an organosilane gas source with an oxidizing agent to form a layer over the substrate, the layer formed predominantly of silicon hydroxide and consisting of silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen; and
plasma treating the silicon hydroxide layer without forming a layer thereover during the plasma treatment, thereby converting the silicon hydroxide layer to an insulating material having a lower dielectric constant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method is provided for forming a material with a low dielectric constant, suitable for electrical isolation in integrated circuits. The material and method of manufacture has particular use as an interlevel dielectric between metal lines in integrated circuits. In a disclosed embodiment, methylsilane is reacted with hydrogen peroxide to deposit a silicon hydroxide layer incorporating carbon. The layer is then treated by exposure to a plasma containing oxygen, and annealing the layer at a temperature of higher than about 450° C. or higher.
329 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method of providing electrical isolation between conductive elements in an integrated circuit, comprising:
-
providing a substrate having a partially fabricated integrated circuit;
reacting an organosilane gas source with an oxidizing agent to form a layer over the substrate, the layer formed predominantly of silicon hydroxide and consisting of silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen; and
plasma treating the silicon hydroxide layer without forming a layer thereover during the plasma treatment, thereby converting the silicon hydroxide layer to an insulating material having a lower dielectric constant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 31, 32)
-
-
20. A process for forming a low dielectric constant material, comprising:
-
reacting an organosilane gas, consisting of a methylsilane, with an oxidizing agent to form a first material on a substrate; and
exposing the first material to a plasma containing oxygen to convert the first material to a second material having a dielectric constant of less than about 3.5 without forming a layer thereover. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 33)
-
-
24. A process for forming a material consisting of a polysiloxane network incorporating carbon-to-silicon bonding with a dielectric constant less than about 3.5, comprising:
-
forming a layer of silicon hydroxide incorporating carbon, wherein between about 5% and 20% of silicon atoms in the layer of silicon hydroxide are associated with a carbon atom; and
annealing the layer at a temperature of at least about 500°
C.- View Dependent Claims (25)
-
-
26. A process for forming a material consisting of a polysiloxane network incorporating carbon-to-silicon bonding with a dielectric constant less than about 3.5, comprising:
-
forming a layer of silicon hydroxide incorporating carbon;
annealing the layer at a temperature of at least about 500°
C.; and
plasma treating the layer of silicon hydroxide prior to annealing, wherein plasma treating does not deposit a layer over the layer of silicon hydroxide. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. A method of forming electrically isolated conductive elements in an integrated circuit, comprising:
-
forming a non-fluorinated precursor material over a semiconductor substrate in a reaction chamber, the precursor material predominantly comprising silicon hydroxide;
treating the precursor material with a plasma comprising oxygen without forming a layer over the precursor material, thereby converting the precursor material into a treated material;
etching the treated material to form a plurality of trenches;
depositing a metal on the treated material into the trenches;
planarizing the metal so that the metal remains only in the trenches; and
annealing the substrate at at least 550°
C.- View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
-
Specification