Repair of damaged surface areas of sensitive low-K dielectrics of microstructure devices after plasma processing by in situ treatment
Damaged surface areas of low-k dielectric materials may be efficiently repaired by avoiding the saturation of dangling silicon bonds after a reactive plasma treatment on the basis of OH groups, as is typically applied in conventional process strategies. The saturation of the dangling bond may be accomplished by directly initiating a chemical reaction with appropriate organic species, thereby providing superior reaction conditions, which in turn results in a more efficient restoration of the dielectric characteristics.
1. A method, comprising:
forming a low-k dielectric material above a substrate of a microstructure device;
exposing at least a portion of said low-k dielectric material to a reactive process atmosphere in a process chamber, said exposure resulting in the generation of dangling bonds at a surface area of said low-k dielectric material;
performing a surface treatment in said process chamber without exposing said low-k dielectric material to ambient atmosphere so as to saturate most of said dangling bonds at said surface area with an organic species, wherein performing said surface treatment comprises using a species comprising a molecule of the type HC≡N; and
forming a metal-containing material layer above said surface area.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said organic species comprises a methyl group.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising discontinuing exposure of said at least a portion of said low-k dielectric material to said reactive process atmosphere prior to performing said surface treatment.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment in said process chamber comprises activating a chemical reaction by providing ultraviolet radiation in said process chamber.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment in said process chamber comprises activating a chemical reaction by providing infrared radiation in said process chamber.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment in said process chamber comprises activating a chemical reaction by increasing a temperature of said low-k dielectric material.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment in said process chamber comprises activating a chemical reaction by providing radio frequency (RF) power in said process chamber.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment further comprises performing a silylation process.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment further comprises using at least one of Si(CH 3 ) x H y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y H z , wherein x, y, z are integer numbers in the range of 1-3.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said surface treatment further comprises using at least one of basic alkanes (C 2 H 6 ), alkenes (C 2 H 4 ), alkines (C 2 H 2 ), alcohols (CH x OH y ), aldehydes (CH x COH), ketones (H 2 C═O), amines (CH x (NR 2 ) y ), wherein x, y are integer numbers greater than or equal to 1, and R is an organic group.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said low-k dielectric material is formed so as to contain silicon, carbon and oxygen.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said low-k dielectric material is a dielectric material of a metallization system of said microstructure device.
13. A method of processing a low-k dielectric material in a microstructure device, the method comprising:
forming a dielectric base material above a substrate so as to have a dielectric constant of approximately 3.0 or less, said dielectric base material having a surface including methyl groups;
exposing at least a part of said dielectric base material to a reactive process atmosphere in a process environment depleted of OH molecules; and
forming said low-k dielectric material by saturating dangling bonds of said dielectric base material with an organic group in said process environment depleted of OH molecules, wherein saturating dangling bonds of said dielectric base material comprises using a species comprising a molecule of the type HC≡N.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein saturating dangling bonds of said dielectric base material further comprises using at least one of Si(CH 3 ) x H y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y H z , wherein x, y, z are integer numbers in the range of 1-3.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein saturating dangling bonds of said dielectric base material further comprises using at least one of basic alkanes (C 2 H 6 ), alkenes (C 2 H 4 ), alkines (C 2 H 2 ), alcohols (CH x OH y ), aldehydes (CH x COH), ketones (H 2 C═O), amines (CH x (NR 2 ) y ), wherein x, y are integer numbers greater than or equal to 1, and R is an organic group.
16. A method, comprising:
forming a low-k dielectric material above a substrate of a semiconductor device, said low k-dielectric material comprising silicon, carbon and oxygen;
performing a plasma-assisted etch process so as to form an opening in said low-k dielectric material;
prior to exposing said semiconductor device to OH groups, treating exposed surface portions of said low-k dielectric material by using at least one of a silylation repair chemical, a silicon-containing organic species, a molecule of the type HC≡N, basic alkanes (C 2 H 6 ), alkenes (C 2 H 4 ), alkines (C 2 H 2 ), alcohols (CH x OH y ), aldehydes (CH x COH), ketones (H 2 C═O), amines (CH x (NR 2 ) y ), wherein x, y are integer numbers greater than or equal to 1, and R is an organic group, wherein treating the exposed surface portions comprises activating a chemical reaction by providing at least one of radio frequency (RF) power and infrared radiation in said process chamber; and
forming a metal region on the basis of said opening.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said plasma-assisted etch process and said treatment of exposed surface portions are performed in the same process chamber without intermediate exposure to ambient atmosphere.
18. A method, comprising:
forming a low-k dielectric material above a substrate of a microstructure device;
exposing at least a portion of said low-k dielectric material to a reactive process atmosphere in a process chamber, said exposure resulting in the generation of dangling bonds at a surface area of said low-k dielectric material;
performing a surface treatment in said process chamber without exposing said low-k dielectric material to ambient atmosphere so as to saturate most of said dangling bonds at said surface area with an organic species, wherein performing said surface treatment in said process chamber comprises introducing hydrogen and carbon containing species into said process chamber and activating a chemical reaction by providing infrared radiation in said process chamber; and
forming a metal-containing material layer above said surface area.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein performing said surface treatment comprises performing a silylation process.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein performing said surface treatment comprises using at least one of Si(CH 3 ) x H y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y H z , wherein x, y, z are integer numbers in the range of 1-3.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein performing said surface treatment comprises using at least one of basic alkanes (C 2 H 6 ), alkenes (C 2 H 4 ), alkines (C 2 H 2 ), alcohols (CH x OH y ), aldehydes (CH x COH), ketones (H 2 C═O), amines (CH x (NR 2 ) y ), wherein x, y are integer numbers greater than or equal to 1, and R is an organic group.
22. A method, comprising:
forming a low-k dielectric material above a substrate of a microstructure device;
exposing at least a portion of said low-k dielectric material to a reactive process atmosphere in a process chamber, said exposure resulting in the generation of dangling bonds at a surface area of said low-k dielectric material;
performing a surface treatment in said process chamber without exposing said low-k dielectric material to ambient atmosphere so as to saturate most of said dangling bonds at said surface area with an organic species, wherein performing said surface treatment in said process chamber comprises introducing hydrogen and carbon containing species into said process chamber and activating a chemical reaction by providing radio frequency (RF) power in said process chamber; and
forming a metal-containing material layer above said surface area.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein performing said surface treatment comprises performing a silylation process.
24. The method of claim 22 , wherein performing said surface treatment comprises using at least one of Si(CH 3 ) x H y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y , Si(CH 3 ) x OH y H z , wherein x, y, z are integer numbers in the range of 1-3.
25. The method of claim 22 , wherein performing said surface treatment comprises using at least one of basic alkanes (C 2 H 6 ), alkenes (C 2 H 4 ), alkines (C 2 H 2 ), alcohols (CH x OH y ), aldehydes (CH x COH), ketones (H 2 C═O), amines (CH x (NR 2 ) y ), wherein x, y are integer numbers greater than or equal to 1, and R is an organic group.