Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T00:30:07.379Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Study of layered diamond like carbon and PECVD fluorocarbon films for ultra low dielectric constant interlayer dielectric applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

Nandini G. Sundaram ,
Seetharaman Ramachandran ,
Lawrence Overzet ,
Matthew Goeckner  and
Gil-Sik Lee
Nandini G. Sundaram*
Affiliation:
C&D Semiconductor, San Jose, California 95131, USA
Seetharaman Ramachandran
Affiliation:
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, California 94538, USA
Lawrence Overzet
Affiliation:
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75083, USA
Matthew Goeckner
Affiliation:
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75083, USA
Gil-Sik Lee
Affiliation:
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75083, USA
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ngs032000@utdallas.edu
Get access

Abstract

Diamond like carbon (DLC) films deposited using CH4 and Ar and amorphous fluorocarbon (a:C-F) films deposited using CF4 and Si2H6 as precursors were optimized for ultra-low dielectric constant applications by tuning pressure, substrate temperature, and flow rate ratio. Sixty three films belonging to three stack configurations possessed good morphology and adhesion post DLC deposition. Structural and mechanical properties with respect to film integrity, adhesion, roughness, and shrinkage rate were studied. Internal and interface stress distribution results in the increased stability of as deposited DLC–a:C-F–DLC sandwich layers in comparison to a:C-F–DLC stacks. Annealed a:C-F with DLC top coat and As deposited a:C-F are similar in bonding structure. Failure mode is buckling delamination failure with increasing severity in films with higher oxygen incorporation and can be preserved by annealing the fluorocarbon component or providing a DLC base coat. Effect of process parameters on properties relevant to integration has been determined.

Keywords

dielectric propertiesplasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) (deposition)diamond
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 31 , Issue 8 , 28 April 2016 , pp. 1027 - 1037
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors Update (2013) See http://www.public.net/itrs.
Zhou, M. and Zhang, B.C.: Porous low k film with multilayer structure used for promoting adhesion to SiCN cap barrier layer. Microelectron. Reliab. 55, 879 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferrari, A.C. and Robertson, J.: Resonant Raman spectroscopy of disordered, amorphous and diamond like carbon. Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter Mater. Phys. 64, 075414 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wen, B., Li, T., Dong, C., Zhang, X., Yao, S., Cao, Z., Wang, D., Ji, S., and Jin, J.: Formation mechanism of diamond nanocrystal from catalyzed carbon black. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 16, 6891 (2004).Google Scholar
Grill, A.: Diamond-like carbon: State of the art. Diamond Relat. Mater. 8, 428 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, J.: Diamond-like amorphous carbon. Mater. Sci. Eng., R 37, 129 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grill, A.: Amorphous carbon based materials as the interconnect dielectric in ULSI chips. Diamond Relat. Mater. 10, 234 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Endo, K., Tatsumi, T., Matsubara, Y., and Horiuchi, T.: Fluorinated amorphous carbon thin films grown from C4F8 for multilevel interconnections of integrated circuits. In Low-Dielectric Constant Materials II, Treichel, H., Jones, A.C., Lagendijk, A., and Uram, K. eds.; (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 443, Boston, MA 1997); p. 165.Google Scholar
Sundaram, N., Lee, G.S., Goeckner, M., and Overzet, L.: Study and optimization of PECVD films containing fluorine and carbon as ultra-low dielectric constant interlayer dielectrics in ULSI devices. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B: Nanotechnol. Microelectron.: Mater., Process., Meas., Phenom. 33, 042202 (2015).Google Scholar
Sundaram, N., Ramachandran, S., Lee, G.S., and Overzet, L.: Study and optimization of PECVD films containing fluorine and carbon layered with diamond like carbon films as ultra low dielectric constant interlayer dielectrics. In Diamond Electronics and Biotechnology, Bustarret, Etienne, ed. (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 1511, Boston, MA, 2013). mrsf12-1511-ee12-04, doi: 10.1557/opl.2013.37.Google Scholar
Lai, C., Lai, W., Chiue, H., Chen, H., Chang, S., and Lin, S.: Effect of nitrogen addition on the properties and thermal stability of fluorinated amorphous carbon films. Thin Solid Films 510, 125 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Senkevich, J.J. and Sherrer, D.W. II: Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of fluorocarbon thin films via CF3H/H2 chemistries: Power, pressure and feed stock composition studies. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 18(2), 377 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marques, F.C., Lacerda, R.G., and Champi, A.: Thermal expansion coefficient of hydrogenated amorphous carbon. Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 15 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgen, M., Ryan, E.T., Zhao, J-H., Hu, C., Cho, T., and Ho, P.S.: Low dielectric constant materials for ULSI interconnects. Annu. Rev. Mater. Sci. 30, 645 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jin, Y., Ajmera, P.K., Lee, G.S., and Singh, V.: Ultralow-k silicon containing fluorocarbon films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. J. Electron. Mater. 34, 9 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lacerda, R.G. and Marques, F.C.: Hard hydrogenated carbon films with low stress. Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 617 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, A.G. and Hutchinson, J.W.: The thermomechanical integrity of thin films and multilayers. Acta Metall. Mater. 43, 2507 (1996).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wei, Q., Sharma, A.K., Sankar, J., and Narayan, J.: Mechanical properties of diamond-like carbon composite thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Composites, Part B 30(7), 675 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jansen, H.V., Gardeniers, J.G.E., Elders, J., Tlmans, H.A.C., and Elwenspoek, M.: Applications of fluorocarbon polymers in micromechanics and machining. Sens. Actuators, A 41, 136 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roul, B.K., Nayak, B.B., Mishra, P.K., and Mohanty, B.C.: Diamond and diamond-like-carbon growth on Si (100) by hot filament-assisted rf plasma CVD. J. Mater. Synth. Process. 7, 5 (1999).Google Scholar
Bowden, N., Brittain, S., Evans, A.G., Hutchinson, J.W., and Whitesides, G.M.: Spontaneous formation of ordered structures in thin films of metals supported on an elastomeric polymer. Nature 393, 146 (1998).Google Scholar
Moon, M.W., Jensen, H.M., Hutchinson, J.W., Oh, K.H., and Evans, A.G.: The characterization of telephone cord buckling of compressed thin films on substrates. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 50, 2353 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, K., Ni, Y., He, L., and Huang, R.: Nonlinear analysis of compressed elastic thin films on elastic substrates: From wrinkling to buckle-delamination. Int. J. Solids Struct. 51, 3715 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Das, D., Singh, R.N., Barney, I.T., Jackson, A.G., and Mukhopadhyay, S.M.: Effect of oxygen on growth and properties of diamond thin film deposited at low surface temperature. J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 26(6), 1487 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grill, A. and Patel, V.: Characterization of diamond like carbon by infrared spectroscopy. Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 17 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grischke, M., Hieke, A., Morgenweck, F., and Dimigen, H.: Variation of the wettability of DLC-coatings by network modification using silicon and oxygen. Diamond Relat. Mater. 7, 454 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar