Method for removing a pore-generating material from an uncured low-k dielectric film

1. A method of preparing a porous low dielectric constant (low-k) film on a substrate, comprising:

forming a low-k dielectric film on a substrate, wherein said low-k dielectric film as-formed on said substrate comprises a structure-forming material and a cross-linking inhibitor;

exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation to remove at least part of said cross-linking inhibitor, wherein said exposing to said IR radiation occurs prior to any exposure of said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and said IR radiation contains substantially monochromatic electromagnetic (EM) radiation having a narrow band of wavelengths;

selecting one or more IR properties of said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation to adjust a residual amount of said cross-linking inhibitor remaining in said low-k dielectric film in order to tune a mechanical property of said low-k dielectric film, an electrical property of said low-k dielectric film, an optical property of said low-k dielectric film, a pore size of said low-k dielectric film, or a porosity of said low-k dielectric film, or a combination of two or more thereof;

exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation following said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation; and

exposing said low-k dielectric film to second IR radiation during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cross-linking inhibitor comprises moisture, water, solvent, contaminants, pore-generating material, residual pore-generating material, a weakly bonded side group to the structure-forming material, pore-generating molecules, or fragments of pore-generating molecules, or any combination of two or more thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cross-linking inhibitor comprises a pore-generating material, and wherein said forming said low-k dielectric film having said structure-forming material and said cross-linking inhibitor comprises co-polymerizing a structure-forming molecule and a pore-generating molecule on a surface of said substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cross-linking inhibitor comprises a pore-generating material, and wherein said forming said low-k dielectric film having said structure-forming material and said cross-linking inhibitor comprises depositing a structure-forming molecule having a pore-generating molecular side group weakly bonded to said structure-forming molecule on a surface of said substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said adjusting said residual amount of said cross-linking inhibitor comprises substantially removing said cross-linking inhibitor from said low-k dielectric film during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more IR properties comprises a time duration for said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation, an IR intensity for said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation, or an IR dose for said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation, or a combination of two or more thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mechanical property comprises an elastic modulus (E), or a hardness (H), or both.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said electrical property comprises a dielectric constant (k).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said optical property comprises a refractive index (n).

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing said low-k dielectric film to additional IR radiation, wherein said additional IR radiation comprises polychromatic IR radiation, monochromatic IR radiation, pulsed IR radiation, or continuous wave IR radiation, or a combination of two or more thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said narrow band of wavelengths is within the range extending from approximately 8 microns to approximately 12 microns.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to cause bond dissociation and generation of cross-link initiators, and to cause partial cross-linking within said low-k dielectric film.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation comprises exposing said low-k dielectric film to polychromatic UV radiation, monochromatic UV radiation, pulsed UV radiation, or continuous wave UV radiation, or a combination of two or more thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation comprises exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation with a wavelength ranging from approximately 200 nanometers to approximately 400 nanometers.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation comprises exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation with a wavelength ranging from approximately 300 nanometers to approximately 450 nanometers.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation comprises adjusting a time duration for said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to second IR radiation, a UV intensity for said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, or a UV dose for said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, or a combination of two or more thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing said low-k dielectric film to third IR radiation following said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

exposing said low-k dielectric film to first ultraviolet (UV) radiation following said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation; and

exposing said low-k dielectric film to second UV radiation during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to second infrared (IR) radiation, wherein said second UV radiation is different than said first UV radiation.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said adjusting said residual amount of said cross-linking inhibitor comprises adjusting a time duration for said second UV radiation during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to second infrared (IR) radiation, a UV intensity for said second UV radiation, or a UV dose for said second UV radiation, or a combination of two or more thereof.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said second UV radiation comprises exposing said low-k dielectric film to UV radiation with a wavelength ranging from approximately 300 nanometers to approximately 450 nanometers.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

heating said substrate by elevating the temperature of a substrate holder in contact with said substrate before said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation, during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation, or after said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation, or any combination of two or more thereof.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein said structure-forming material comprises diethoxymethylsilane (DEMS).

23. A method of preparing a porous low dielectric constant (low-k) film on a substrate, comprising:

forming a low-k dielectric film on a substrate, wherein said low-k dielectric film comprises a structure-forming material and a cross-linking inhibitor;

exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation;

substantially removing all of said cross-linking inhibitor from said low-k dielectric film during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation prior to any exposure of said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation;

exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation following said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation; and

exposing said low-k dielectric film to second IR radiation during said UV exposure.

24. A method of preparing a porous low dielectric constant (low-k) film on a substrate, comprising:

forming a low-k dielectric film on a substrate, wherein said low-k dielectric film as-formed on said substrate comprises a structure-forming material and a pore-generating material;

exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation to remove at least part of said pore-generating material and form a porous low-k dielectric film, wherein said exposing to said IR radiation occurs prior to any exposure of said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and said IR radiation contains substantially monochromatic electromagnetic (EM) radiation having a narrow band of wavelengths;

selecting one or more IR properties of said exposing said low-k dielectric film to said infrared (IR) radiation to adjust a residual amount of said pore-generating material remaining in said porous low-k dielectric film in order to tune a mechanical property of said porous low-k dielectric film, an electrical property of said porous low-k dielectric film, an optical property of said porous low-k dielectric film, a pore size of said porous low-k dielectric film, or a porosity of said porous low-k dielectric film, or a combination of two or more thereof;

exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation following said exposing said low-k dielectric film to infrared (IR) radiation; and

exposing said low-k dielectric film to second IR radiation during said exposing said low-k dielectric film to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.