Pt. Liu et al., Improvement of post-chemical mechanical planarization characteristics on organic low k methylsilsesquioxane as intermetal dielectric, J ELCHEM SO, 147(11), 2000, pp. 4313-4317
This work has investigated the electrical and material characteristics of p
ost-chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) methylsilsesquioxane (MSQ). Exp
erimental results have shown that the dielectric properties of low k MSQ de
teriorate after the CMP process. However, by applying H-2-plasma post-treat
ment, the degraded characteristics can be restored to a similar state as th
at of a pre-CMP MSQ film. Material and electrical analyses were performed t
o elucidate the detailed mechanisms of H-2-plasma treatment on post-CMP MSQ
. H-2-plasma treatment provides active hydro en radicals to passivate the d
angling bonds exposed in the MSQ after the CMP process. The hydrogen-rich p
assivation layer is hydrophobic and effectively prevents further moisture u
ptake. Therefore, a degradation-free CMP process can be achieved employing
H-2-plasma treatment. (C) 2000 The Electrochemical Society. S0013-4651(00)0
4-098-2. All rights reserved.