Methods for coating a substrate with an amphiphilic compound

• US 8,871,860 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Duong, Anh, Chiang, Tony, Fresco, Zachary M., Kumar, Nitin, Lang, Chi-I, Tong, Jinhong, Tsizelmon, Anna
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, JACK S J
• Application Number:
  US13/971,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20130338305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 524/557, 524/803, 524/507, 524/589
• US Class Current: 524/557
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 129/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02063 the processing being the formation of vias or contact holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02074 the processing being a planarization of conductive layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3105 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31058 of organic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76814 post-treatment or after-treatment, e.g. cleaning or removal of oxides on underlying conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7682 the dielectric comprising air gaps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76826 by contacting the layer with gases, liquids or plasmas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76829 characterised by the formation of thin functional dielectric layers, e.g. dielectric etch-stop, barrier, capping or liner layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1063 Sacrificial or temporary thin dielectric films in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5329 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Methods of modifying a patterned semiconductor substrate are presented including: providing a patterned semiconductor substrate surface including a dielectric region and a conductive region; and applying an amphiphilic surface modifier to the dielectric region to modify the dielectric region. In some embodiments, modifying the dielectric region includes modifying a wetting angle of the dielectric region. In some embodiments, modifying the wetting angle includes making a surface of the dielectric region hydrophilic. In some embodiments, methods further include applying an aqueous solution to the patterned semiconductor substrate surface. In some embodiments, the conductive region is selectively enhanced by the aqueous solution. In some embodiments, methods further include providing the dielectric region formed of a low-k dielectric material. In some embodiments, applying the amphiphilic surface modifier modifies an interaction of the low-k dielectric region with a subsequent process.

Claims

1. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution comprising:

PVA dissolved in water at a concentration between 1 to 500 mM, wherein the PVA has a molecular weight in the range of 5 to 200 kiloDaltons and wherein the PVA is 99% hydrolyzed.

2. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the PVA is between 25 and 100 mM.

3. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the PVA is 25 mM, the molecular weight is between 13 and 23 kiloDaltons, and the PVA is 99% hydrolyzed.

4. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 1 further comprising PVA compounds comprising thiol or amine.

5. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 4 wherein the PVA compounds comprising thiol comprise polyvinyl mercaptan.

6. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 4 wherein the PVA compounds comprising amine comprise polyvinylamine.

7. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 1 wherein the PVA is cross-linked.

8. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 7 wherein the PVA is cross-linked using a cross-linking agent.

9. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 8 wherein the cross-linking agent is one of a glutaraldehyde solution, a dialdehyde solution, a sulfuric acid solution, a maleic acid solution, a citric acid solution, a solution of glutaraldehyde and sulfuric acid, or an ascorbic acid solution.

10. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 7 wherein the PVA is cross-linked using non-chemical modification.

11. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 10 wherein the non-chemical modification is one of deep ultra-violet cure, ebeam cure, or plasma cure.

12. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the PVA is 0.5 M, the molecular weight is between 13 and 23 kiloDaltons, and the PVA is 89% hydrolyzed.

13. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 1, wherein the PVA is co-polymerized with other polymers.

14. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based surface modifier solution of claim 13, wherein the co-polymers comprise one of co-ethylene, co-cation, co-siloxane, or co-anion.