PATTERNABLE DIELECTRIC FILM STRUCTURE WITH IMPROVED LITHOGRAPHY AND METHOD OF FABRICATING SAME

• US 20110312177A1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Qinghuang, Neumayer, Deborah A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,484,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/623
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02118 carbon based polymeric organic or inorganic material, e.g. polyimides, poly cyclobutene or PVC polymers per se C08G, photoresist per se G03F
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02167 the material being a silicon carbide not containing oxygen, e.g. SiC, SiC:H or silicon carbonitrides H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02274 in the presence of a plasma [PECVD]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02282 liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0276 using an anti-reflective coating anti-reflective coating for lithography in general G03F7/09
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31 to form insulating layers thereon, e.g. for masking or by using photolithographic techniques encapsulating layers H01L21/56; After treatment of these layers; Selection of materials for these layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3121 Layers comprising organo-silicon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3122 layers comprising polysiloxane compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3148 Silicon Carbide layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76808 involving intermediate temporary filling with material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76832 Multiple layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76835 Combinations of two or more different dielectric layers having a low dielectric constant H01L21/76832 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/1031 Dual damascene by forming vias in the via-level dielectric prior to deposition of the trench-level dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53238 Additional layers associated with copper layers, e.g. adhesion, barrier, cladding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5329 Insulating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/53295 Stacked insulating layers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12044 OLED

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of fabricating an interconnect structure in which a patternable low-k material replaces the need for utilizing a separate photoresist and a dielectric material. Specifically, this invention relates to a simplified method of fabricating single-damascene and dual-damascene low-k interconnect structures with at least one patternable low-k dielectric and at least one inorganic antireflective coating. In general terms, a method is provided that includes providing at least one patternable low-k material on a surface of an inorganic antireflective coating that is located atop a substrate, said inorganic antireflective coating is vapor deposited and comprises atoms of M, C and H wherein M is at least one of Si, Ge, B, Sn, Fe, Ta, Ti, Ni, Hf and La; forming at least one interconnect pattern within the at least one patternable low-k material; and curing the at least one patternable low-k material. The inventive method can be used to form dual-damascene interconnect structures as well as single-damascene interconnect structures.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an interconnect structure comprising:

providing at least one patternable low-k material on a surface of an inorganic antireflective coating that is located atop a substrate, said inorganic antireflective coating is vapor deposited and comprises atoms of M, C and H wherein M is at least one of Si, Ge, B, Sn, Fe, Ta, Ti, Ni, Hf and La;

forming at least one interconnect pattern within said at least one patternable low-k material, said at least one interconnect pattern is formed without utilizing a separate photoresist material; and

curing said at least one patternable low-k material into a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of not more than 4.3.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said inorganic antireflective coating further comprises atoms of O, N, S, F or mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one patternable low-k material comprises a functionalized polymer having one or more irradiation/acid-sensitive imageable groups.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said functionalized polymer comprises a polymer of a hydrocarbon, a fluorinated hydrocarbon, a siloxane, a silane, a carbosilane, an oxycarbosilane, an organosilicate or a silsesquioxane.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one patternable low-k material further comprises a functionalized sacrificial pore generator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said curing comprises a thermal cure, an electron beam cure, an UV cure, an ion beam cure, a plasma cure, a microwave cure or any combination thereof.

7. A method of fabricating a dual-damascene interconnect structure comprising:

providing a first patternable low-k material on a surface of an inorganic antireflective coating that is located atop a substrate, said inorganic antireflective coating is vapor deposited and comprises atoms of M, C and H wherein M is at least one of Si, Ge, B, Sn, Fe, Ta, Ti, Ni, Hf and La;

forming first interconnect patterns within the patternable low-k material without utilizing a separate photoresist material;

providing a second patternable low-k material on top of the first patternable low-k material including said first interconnect patterns;

forming second interconnect patterns within said second patternable low-k material without utilizing a separate photoresist material; and

curing at least said second patternable low-k material.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said inorganic antireflective coating further comprises atoms of O, N, S, F or mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said first and second patternable low-k materials are the same or different and comprise functionalized polymers having one or more irradiation/acid-sensitive imageable groups.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said functionalized polymers comprise polymers of hydrocarbons, fluorinated hydrocarbons, siloxanes, silanes, carbosilanes, oxycarbosilanes, organosilicates or silsesquioxanes.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said curing at least said second patternable low-k material comprises a thermal cure, an electron beam cure, an UV cure, an ion beam cure, a plasma cure, a microwave cure or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said first patternable low-k material is a cured positive or negative-tone material and said second patternable low-k material is a positive or negative-tone material.