Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2011
In order to boost the performance of next-generation silicon integrated circuits, polymers with lower dielectric constant compared to silicon dioxide are required as interlayer dielectrics (ILDs). Ion penetration from surrounding interconnect metal (typically copper or aluminum) or from barrier materials (e.g., tantalum or tantalum nitride) under thermal and electrical stresses can lead to premature failure of the polymers. Hence, ion penetration was studied in hybrid organosiloxane polymer (HOSP) using bias-temperature stressing. Metal/polymer interface chemistry, particularly the presence of interfacial oxygen, was found to play a key role in aiding metal ionization, and subsequent mobile ion penetration into dielectrics.