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Some Aspects of the Materials Science of Low-K Integration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Vincent McGahay*
Affiliation:
IBM Corporation 2070 Route 52 Z/E40 Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
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Abstract

The microelectronic industry's transition to low dielectric constant insulators in the wiring levels of integrated circuits has proven to be more difficult than expected. Materials properties are an integral part of the problem, as much for yield as for reliability. Unfortunately, many properties which are important for manufacturing robustness tend to degrade as the dielectric constant is lowered. Although materials properties are a useful guide to low-K manufacturability, inflexibility with regard to specifications could ultimately limit future progress. Application of basic principles of materials science to the integration of low-K dielectrics can give critical insight into the nature of the difficulties. Several examples of problems in low-K integration which benefit from such analysis are given.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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