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The SiCOH low-k dielectric film was grown on Si substrate using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Atomic structure and optical properties of the film were studied with the use of X‑ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and ellipsometry. Analysis of XPS data showed that the low-k dielectric film consists of Si–O4 bonds (83%) and Si–SiO3 bonds (17%). In FTIR spectra some red-shift of Si–O–Si valence (stretching) vibration mode frequency was observed in the low-k dielectric film compared with the frequency of this mode in thermally grown SiO2 film. The peaks related to absorbance by C–H bonds were observed in FTIR spectrum. According to Raman spectroscopy data, the film contained local Si–Si bonds and also C‒C bonds in the s–p3 and s–p2 hybridized forms. Scanning laser ellipsometry data show that the film is quite homogeneous, homogeneity of thickness is ~2.5%, and homogeneity of refractive index is ~2%. According to the analysis of spectral ellipsometry data, the film is porous (porosity is about 24%) and contains clusters of amorphous carbon (~7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous SiC x :H and SiC x N y :H films were grown on Si (100) substrates by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using trimethylphenylsilane as a precursor. Detailed studies including Fourier transformed infra-red spectrometry, elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy, dielectric constant and porosity investigations, and preliminary Cu diffusion experiments were performed. It was shown that the films contained pores connected by narrow channels with a diameter of 5 Å, and the total porosity did not exceed 1.5%. The film with both low dielectric constant and low porosity was chosen for Cu diffusion barrier experiments. Si/SiC x :H/Cu structure was created and then annealed. The investigation of cross-sectional cut suggested that the film had good barrier properties against copper diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thin silicon carbonitride films were synthesized by PECVD using siliconorganic compound as single-source precursor within a temperature range of 373–623 K. IR and Raman spectroscopy, AES, XPS, ellipsometry, XRD using the synchrotron radiation, EDS, SEM, AFM, measurements of electrophysical, mechanical characteristics and optical properties were applied to study their physicochemical and functional properties. It was shown that low temperature films are low-k dielectrics with the following characteristics: a dielectric constant of 3.0–7.0, specific resistance, ρ =1013–1016 Om×cm, E dielectric breakdown ∼1 MV/cm, surface state density N ss ∼2.4·1011 cm−2·eV−1 and fixed charge density of about 1.6×1011 cm−2. The bandgap of the films changes from 5.35 up to∼3.30 eV. Obtained films are very flat and smooth, root mean square roughness R ms equals to ∼0.5–1.0 nm. Microhardness of these films changes from 1.9 up to 2.4 GPa, and Young''s modulus changes from 12.2 up to 15.9 GPa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low dielectric constant SiOC(are deposited on p-type Si(100) substrates by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using methyltriethoxysilane (MTES, C7H18O3Si) and oxygen gas as precursors. The SiOC(are deposited at room temperature, 100, 200, 300 and 400°C and then annealed at 100, 200, 300 and 400°C temperatures for 30min in vacuum. The influence of deposition temperature and annealing on SiOC(are investigated. Film thickness and refractive index are measured by field emission scanning electron microscopy and ellipsometry, respectively. Chemical bonding characteristics of as-deposited and annealed films are investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in the absorbance mode. As more carbon atoms are incorporated into the SiOC( both film density and refractive index are decreased due to nano pore structure of the film. In the SiOC(CH3 group as an end group is introduced into h name="sbnd" />Sih name="sbnd" /> network, thereby reducing the density to decrease the dielectric constant thereof. The dielectric constant of SiOC(s evaluated by C–V measurements using metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS), Al/SiOC(alic>p-Si structure and it is found to be as low as 2.2 for annealed samples deposited at 400°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low dielectric constant SiOC(–H) thin films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and oxygen as precursors. The SiOC(–H) films were prepared with MTES/O2 flow rate ratio of 80%, rf power of 700 W and the working pressure was varied from 110 to 150 mTorr. Then the films were annealed at different temperatures in an Ar ambient for 30 min in order to study their thermal stability. Film thickness and refractive index were measured by SEM and ellipsometry, respectively. Bonding characteristics of the films were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The dielectric constant of SiOC(–H) film was evaluated by C–V measurements using Al/SiOC(–H)/p-Si structure. The dielectric constants as low as 2.4 have been obtained for the film annealed at 500 °C with the working pressure of 150 mTorr. The annealing treatment was found to reduce dielectric constant significantly due to abundant incorporation of methyl group into the Si–O network. These results demonstrated the promising characteristics of SiOC(–H) thin films deposited by using oxygen and MTES precursor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SiOCH low-k thin films were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using trimethylsilane (3MS)–oxygen mixtures at different substrate temperature from 200 to 400 °C, while the other conditions were fixed. The effect of substrate temperature on the mechanical, optical and electrical properties of the SiOCH thin films was investigated using nanoindentation, ellipsometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and C–V measurement techniques. It was found that the deposition rate decreased more than 67% as the temperature increased from 200 to 400 °C. The SiOCH films prepared at lower temperature showed lower dielectric constant and refractive index, but the mechanical properties became poorer because the hardness and Young''s modulus decrease largely with the deposition temperature. FTIR spectra revealed that more –CH and –CH3 groups were introduced into the SiO2 network of the films at lower deposition temperature. The –CH and –CH3 groups and cage structure of Si–O bonds in the films were thought to be responsible for lowering the dielectric constant, refractive index, hardness and Young''s modulus. Trade-off among the mechanical and electrical properties of such low-k SiOCH films was observed for films deposited at different deposition temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Low-k dielectric carbon-doped silicon dioxide films created by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) using a six-station sequential deposition system exhibit different glass transition behavior from films created by PECVD in a single deposition station. The enhanced glass transition temperature (Tg) for the PECVD thin films of a layer consisting of six sub-layer deposited in a six-station sequential deposition system to the Tg for films of a single layer deposited in a single deposition system is traced back to the introduced film interface effect inherent to the different deposition methods. Both types of PECVD thin films range in thickness from 50 to 1255 nm and show an increasing Tg with decreasing film thickness. The observed glass transition behavior for films with six sub-layers can be well explained by a theoretical model of thickness dependent Tg for multiple sub-layers obtained by modifying the currently existing theoretical model for the single layer thickness dependent Tg behavior, which explains the observed thickness dependent Tg for single layer PECVD thin films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]