Plasma-assisted vapor phase treatment of low dielectric constant films using a batch processing system

1. A method of treating a low dielectric constant film on a plurality of substrates, comprising:

disposing said plurality of substrates in a batch processing system including a process chamber, said dielectric film on the plurality of substrates having a dielectric constant value less than the dielectric constant of SiO 2 ;

heating said plurality of substrates while exposing one or more of the plurality of substrates to an inert atmosphere in said process chamber;

generating plasma and molecular fragments of a treating compound with an in-situ plasma generation system coupled to said process chamber, said treating compound comprising a C x H y containing compound, wherein x and y represent integers greater than or equal to unity;

introducing said treating compound into said process chamber;

exposing at least one surface of said dielectric film on said plurality of substrates to said plasma;

sealing or partially sealing the exposed surfaces of the dielectric film; and

restoring or partially restoring the value of the dielectric constant of the low dielectric constant film by replenishing carbon depleted sites with carbon-containing material in the treating compound.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said exposing comprises exposing at least one surface of said dielectric film on said plurality of substrates to a treating compound comprising an alkyl silane, an alkoxysilane, an alkyl siloxane, an alkoxysiloxane, an aryl silane, an acyl silane, a cyclo siloxane, a polysilsesquioxane (PSS), an aryl siloxane, an acyl siloxane, or a halo siloxane, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said treating compound comprises an cyclo siloxane comprising:

1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane,

heptamethylcyclotetrasiloxane,

hexaethylcyclotrisiloxane,

hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane,

octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane,

pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane,

pentavinylpentamethylcyclopentasiloxane,

tetraethylcyclotetrasiloxane,

hexaphenylcyclotrisiloxane,

octaphenylcyclotetrasiloxane,

(acetoxyethyl)heptamethylcylcotetrasiloxane, or

tetrakis(diphenylphosphinoethyl)tetramethylcylcotetrasiloxane, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said exposing said dielectric film comprises exposing a dielectric film having a dielectric constant ranging from 1.6 to 2.7.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said exposing said dielectric film comprises exposing at least one of a porous dielectric film, and a non-porous dielectric film.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein said exposing said porous dielectric film comprises exposing at least one of a single-phase material, and a dual-phase material.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein said exposing comprising exposing the dielectric film to the treating compound in vapor phase.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said dielectric film is exposed to the treating compound in vapor phase that does not include a carrier gas.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of substrates are heated to a temperature of 100-300° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of substrates are heated to a temperature of 150-250° C.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

controlling the in-situ plasma generation system from a controller which is located remote from the in-situ plasma generation system.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controller is operated via a graphical user interface which allows a user to monitor and control at least one process of said method.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

drying the low dielectric constant film by removing H 2 O molecules that have not bonded as OH sites.