Methods for forming dense dielectric layer over porous dielectrics

1. A method comprising:

forming an opening in an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) on a wafer, wherein the opening includes a sidewall surface and a bottom surface; and

exposing the opening to a plurality of substantially parallel ultra-violet (UV) radiation rays to form a dense dielectric layer having a substantially uniform thickness over both the sidewall surface and the bottom surface, wherein the exposing comprises:

exposing the bottom surface to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays at a first angle of incidence; and

exposing the sidewall surface to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays at a second angle of incidence different than the first angle of incidence,

wherein the second angle of incidence is based on dimensions of the opening and is equal to an angle that provides exposure to the sidewall surface without exposing the bottom surface, such that the exposure to the bottom surface and the sidewall surface is substantially uniform, and wherein exposing the sidewall surface includes positioning the wafer at an angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays equal to approximately the second angle of incidence.

2. The method claim 1 , wherein the exposing the sidewall surface includes one of:

(a) incrementally rotating the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially perpendicular to a wafer plane formed by the top surface of the wafer, and simultaneously pivoting the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially parallel to the wafer plane, wherein the wafer is pivoted by the angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays equal to approximately the second angle of incidence; and

(b) rotating the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially perpendicular to the wafer plane, wherein the wafer is maintained at the angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays equal to approximately the second angle of incidence.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rotating of the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially perpendicular to the wafer plane further comprises simultaneously rotating the wafer about an axis that passes from the center of the wafer and is substantially parallel to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first angle of incidence is substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the wafer.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the UV radiation source includes a reflector and a UV light source configured to reflect a plurality of UV radiation rays over the wafer from the UV light source in a substantially parallel direction.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exposure to the sidewall surface and the bottom surface occurs in one of: a non-oxidizing atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere, and a vacuum.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second angle of incidence is no greater than about 45°.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ILD includes a porous material having an ultralow dielectric constant.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the opening includes at least one of: a via opening and a trench.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ILD includes a material selected from the group consisting of: plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) porous hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide (pSiCOH), spin-on hydrogen silsesquioxanes (HSQ), spin-on methyl silsesquioxanes (MSQ), spin-on mixtures of HSQ and MSQ, and spin-on mixtures of HSQ, MSQ and oligocarbosilanes (OCS).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of UV radiation rays have a wavelength between approximately 130 nm and approximately 193 nm.

12. A method comprising:

forming an opening in a porous inter-layer dielectric (ILD) on a wafer, the ILD having an ultra-low dielectric constant, wherein the opening includes a sidewall surface and a bottom surface; and

exposing the sidewall surface and the bottom surface to a plurality of substantially parallel ultra-violet (UV) radiation rays to form a dense dielectric layer having a substantially uniform thickness over both the sidewall surface and the bottom surface, and

wherein the exposing comprises:

exposing the bottom surface to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays at a first angle of incidence; and

exposing the sidewall surface to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays at a second angle of incidence different than the first angle of incidence, the exposure to the bottom surface and the sidewall surface being substantially uniform, wherein exposing the sidewall surface further includes:

positioning a UV radiation source relative to the wafer so that the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays form an angle of incidence (α) with the wafer plane equal to approximately the second angle of incidence, and (ii) positioning the UV radiation source relative to the wafer so that a center of a radiation area formed by the UV radiation source corresponds to the center of the wafer, and (iii) incrementally rotating the UV radiation source about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially perpendicular to the wafer plane.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first angle of incidence is substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the wafer, and wherein the second angle of incidence is based on the dimensions of the opening and is approximately equal to an angle that provides exposure to the sidewall surface without exposing the bottom surface.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the opening includes at least one of: a via opening and a trench.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the UV radiation source includes a UV light source configured to reflect a plurality of UV radiation rays from the UV light source in a substantially parallel direction.

16. A method comprising:

forming an opening in a porous inter-layer dielectric (ILD) on a wafer, the ILD having an ultra-low dielectric constant, and the opening having a sidewall surface and a bottom surface; and

exposing the sidewall surface and the bottom surface to a plurality of substantially parallel ultra-violet (UV) radiation rays from a UV radiation source to form a dense dielectric layer having a substantially uniform thickness over both the sidewall surface and the bottom surface, and

wherein the exposing comprises:

exposing the bottom surface to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays at a first angle of incidence;

exposing the sidewall surface to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays at a second angle of incidence different than the first angle of incidence, the exposure to the bottom surface and the sidewall surface being substantially uniform; and

wherein the first angle of incidence is substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the bottom surface, and wherein the second angle of incidence is based on the dimensions of the opening and is approximately equal to an angle that provides exposure to the sidewall surface without exposing the bottom surface, and wherein exposing the sidewall surface includes positioning the wafer at an angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays equal to approximately the second angle of incidence.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the exposing the sidewall surface includes one of:

(a) incrementally rotating the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially perpendicular to a wafer plane formed by the top surface of the wafer, and simultaneously pivoting the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially parallel to the wafer plane, wherein the wafer is pivoted by the angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays equal to approximately the second angle of incidence; and

(b) rotating the wafer about an axis that passes through the center of the wafer and is substantially perpendicular to the wafer plane and simultaneously rotating the wafer about an axis that passes from the center of the wafer and is substantially parallel to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays, wherein the wafer is maintained at the angle relative to the plurality of substantially parallel UV radiation rays equal to approximately the second angle of incidence.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the UV radiation source includes a reflector and a UV light source configured to reflect a plurality of UV radiation rays over the wafer from the UV light source in a substantially parallel direction.