Effects of VUV and EUV Radiation on Ultra Low-k Materials Damage

Abstract

Low-k dielectric films can be substantially damaged during plasma processing. High energy UV and VUV photons emitted by plasma play the key role in damaging the porous low-k films directly or indirectly by stimulating chemical reactions with radicals in plasma and plasma afterglow. The different ULK samples (k: 2.0-2.2, porosity: 30-50%, pore radius: 1-2 nm) were studied by exposing to five radiation sources at various wavelengths (VUV: 193 nm, 147 nm, 104-106 nm, 58.3 nm, and EUV: 13.5 nm). Time-spatial behavior of the ULK damage as a function of photons fluence was studied by FTIR spectroscopy and XRF analysis. It is shown that the degree of damage depends on wavelength of UV light. The major UV damage was observed at the wavelengths below 193 nm. The maximum damage corresponds to 147 nm while the degree of damage at 58.3 nm was much smaller. In the case of organosilicate (OSG) based ULK materials, the degree of damage, as a rule, increases with porosity. Organic low-k materials are damaged more than OSG at 193 nm, but at shorter wavelengths (147, 106, 58.3 and 13.5 nm) they are more stable than OSG. One-dimensional model for radiation absorption and dynamics of CH3 group destruction in ULK films was developed. The cross-sections of photons absorption and photo-stimulated Si-CH₃ bond breaking in ULK films for 13.5 -147 nm wavelength range were derived from a combined experimental and modeling study. The obtained values allow to simulate the VUV/EUV induced modifications of low-k materials with different composition, to understand better the mechanisms of plasma damage and to generate ideas for controllable modifications of low-k materials.