Planarized microelectronic substrates
View Patent ↗The instant invention is a process for planarizing a microelectronic substrate with a cross-linked polymer dielectric layer, comprising the steps of: (a) heating such a substrate coated with a layer comprising an uncured cross-linkable polymer and a glass transition suppression modifier to a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature of the layer, the temperature being less than the curing temperature of the uncured cross-linkable polymer to form a substrate coated with a heat flowed layer; and (b) heating the substrate coated with the heat flowed layer to a curing temperature of the uncured cross-linkable polymer of the heated layer to cure the uncured cross-linkable polymer to form a planarized substrate wherein the percent planarization at 100 micrometers is greater than fifty percent. The instant invention is a microelectronic device made using the above-described process. The instant invention is a composition of matter, comprising: an essentially solvent free composition comprising an uncured cross-linkable polymer and a glass transition suppression modifier, the composition having a glass transition temperature sufficiently less than the curing temperature of the uncured composition so that if the uncured composition is heated to a temperature above its glass transition temperature but below its curing temperature, the uncured composition will flow.
1. A process for planarizing a microelectronic substrate with a cross-linked polymer dielectric layer, comprising the steps of: (a) coating the substrate with a composition comprising a solvent, an uncured cross-linkable polymer and a glass transition suppression modifier to form a substrate coated with the composition, wherein the uncured, cross-linkable polymer is the reaction product of cyclopentadienone and acetylene functional compounds wherein at least some of such compounds have three or more reactive groups and wherein the glass transition suppression modifier is a polymer which is substantially removed during the curing step or a monomer which reacts with the cross-linkable polymer; (b) evaporating the solvent from the composition to form the substrate coated with a layer comprising the uncured polymer and the glass transition suppression modifier, (c) heating the substrate coated with a layer comprising the uncured cross-linkable polymer and the glass transition suppression modifier to a temperature greater than the glass transition temperature of the layer, the temperature being less than the curing temperature of the uncured cross-linkable polymer to form a substrate coated with a heat flowed layer; and (d) heating the substrate coated with the heat flowed layer to a curing temperature of the uncured cross-linkable polymer of the heated layer to cure the uncured cross-linkable polymer to form a planarized substrate wherein the percent planarization at 100 micrometers is greater than fifty percent.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the percent planarization at 100 micrometers is greater than sixty-five percent.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the percent planarization at 100 micrometers is greater than eighty percent.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the percent planarization at 100 micrometers is greater than ninety percent.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein the cross-linkable polymer is polyarylene and the glass transition suppression modifier is a low molecular weight polystyrene.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable polymer comprises the reaction product of one or more polyfunctional compounds containing two or more cyclopentadieneone groups and at least one polyfunctional compound containing two or more aromatic acetylene groups wherein at least one of the polyfunctional compounds contain three or more groups selected from the group consisting of acetylene groups and cyclopentadienone groups and wherein the glass transition suppression modifier comprises a polymer.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the glass transition suppression modifier is a polymer which wherein vaporizes from the cross-linkable polymer dielectric layer during the heating step.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cross-linkable polymer comprises the reaction product of one or more polyfunctional compounds containing two or more cyclopentadieneone groups and at least one polyfunctional compound containing two or more aromatic acetylene groups wherein at least one of the polyfunctional compounds contain three or more groups selected from the group consisting of acetylene groups and cyclopentadienone groups and wherein the glass transition suppression modifier comprises a monomer of the cross-linkable polymer.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the monomer is 1,3,5-Tris(phenylethynyl)benzene.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the glass transition suppression modifier is a glass transition suppression polymer is present in amount from 1 percent to 50 percent based on total weight of solids.
11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the glass transition suppression polymer is present in amount from 5 percent to 40 percent based on total weight of solids.
12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the glass transition suppression modifier is a monomer is present in an amount from 1 percent to 50 percent based on weight of monomer and cross-linkable polymer.
13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the glass transition suppression monomer is present in an amount from 5 percent to 40 percent based on weight of monomer and cross-linkable polymer.
14. A microelectronic device made by a process comprising the process of claims 1 .