Interconnect structure and method of fabricating

1. An interconnect structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a patterned and cured photoresist wherein the photoresist contains a low k dielectric constituent and contains a fortification layer on its top and sidewall surfaces forming vias or trenches, wherein the fortification layer has a thickness of about 2% to about 20% of the thickness of the photoresist; and

a conductive fill material in the vias or trenches.

2. The interconnect structure according to claim 1 being a single damascene structure.

3. The interconnect structure according to claim 1 wherein the fortification layer has a thickness of about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometer.

4. A dual damascene structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first patterned and cured first photoresist wherein the first photoresist contains a low k dielectric constituent and contains a first fortification layer on its top and sidewall surfaces forming first vias or trenches, wherein the first fortification layer has a thickness of about 2% to about 20% of the thickness of the photoresist;

a second patterned and cured second photoresist located on top the first photoresist wherein the second photoresist contains a low k dielectric constituent and contains a second fortification layer on its top and sidewall surfaces forming second vias or trenches not formed in the first photoresist, wherein the fortification layer has a thickness of about 2% to about 20% of the thickness of the photoresist; and

a conductive fill material in the first and second vias and trenches.

5. The interconnect structure according to claim 1 further comprising a patterned antireflective coating present beneath the patterned and cured low-k material.

6. The interconnect structure according to claim 1 wherein the patterned and cured low-k material is a cured photoresist comprising a polymer, a copolymer, or a blend including at least two of any combination of polymers and/or copolymers, wherein said polymers include one monomer and said copolymers include at least two monomers and wherein said monomers of said polymers and said momoners of said copolymers are selected from a siloxane, silane, carbosilane, oxycarbosilane, silsesquioxane, alkyltrialkoxysilane, tetra-alkoxysilane, unsaturated alkyl substituted silsesquioxane, unsaturated alkyl substituted siloxane, unsaturated alkyl substituted silane, an unsaturated alkyl substituted carbosilane, unsaturated alkyl substituted oxycarbosilane, carbosilane substituted silsesquioxane, carbosilane substituted siloxane, carbosilane substituted silane, carbosilane substituted carbosilane, carbosilane substituted oxycarbosilane, oxycarbosilane substituted silsesquioxane, oxycarbosilane substituted siloxane, oxycarbosilane substituted silane, oxycarbosilane substituted carbosilane, and oxycarbosilane substituted oxycarbosilane.

7. The interconnect structure according to claim 6 wherein the fortification layer has a thickness of about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometer.

8. The interconnect structure according to claim 5 wherein the fortification layer has a thickness of about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometer.

9. The interconnect structure according to claim 4 wherein each of the first and second fortification layers has a thickness of about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometer.

10. The interconnect structure according to claim 4 wherein each of the cured first and second photoresists comprises a polymer, a copolymer, or a blend including at least two of any combination of polymers and/or copolymers, wherein said polymers include one monomer and said copolymers include at least two monomers and wherein said monomers of said polymers and said momoners of said copolymers are selected from a siloxane, silane, carbosilane, oxycarbosilane, silsesquioxane, alkyltrialkoxysilane, tetra-alkoxysilane, unsaturated alkyl substituted silsesquioxane, unsaturated alkyl substituted siloxane, unsaturated alkyl substituted silane, an unsaturated alkyl substituted carbosilane, unsaturated alkyl substituted oxycarbosilane, carbosilane substituted silsesquioxane, carbosilane substituted siloxane, carbosilane substituted silane, carbosilane substituted carbosilane, carbosilane substituted oxycarbosilane, oxycarbosilane substituted silsesquioxane, oxycarbosilane substituted siloxane, oxycarbosilane substituted silane, oxycarbosilane substituted carbosilane, and oxycarbosilane substituted oxycarbosilane.

11. The interconnect structure according to claim 1 , wherein the fortification layer has a thickness of about 3% to about 10% of the thickness of the photoresist.

12. The interconnect structure according to claim 11 , which further comprises a dielectric cap layer directly on top of the fortification layer and conductive fill material.

13. The interconnect structure according to claim 11 , which further comprises a dielectric cap layer directly on top of the fortification layer and conductive fill material.

14. The interconnect structure according to claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second fortification layers has a thickness of about 3% to about 10% of the thickness of the photoresist.

15. The interconnect structure according to claim 14 , which further comprises a dielectric cap layer directly on top of the second fortification layer and conductive fill material.

16. The interconnect structure according to claim 4 , which further comprises a dielectric cap layer directly on top of the second fortification layer and conductive fill material.