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Plasma Etching of Hydrogen-Silsesquioxane

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Youfan Liu
Affiliation:
Dow Coming Corporation, M/S CO41B1, P. 0. Box 944, Midland, MI 48686.
Chris McMillan
Affiliation:
Dow Coming Corporation, M/S CO41B1, P. 0. Box 944, Midland, MI 48686.
Fred Dall
Affiliation:
Dow Coming Corporation, M/S CO41B1, P. 0. Box 944, Midland, MI 48686.
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Abstract

CF4 plasma etching of hydrogen-silsesquioxane films on bare silicon substrates was conducted. An increase in average etching rate and a decrease in dielectric constant from 2.9 to 2.7 were observed after a top layer was removed from the surface of the film, indicating that a negative density depth gradient in the film was developed during the cure processing, A small part of the reduction in dielectric constant may be attributed to structural change resulting from the plasma interaction with the films since a small amount of Si-F bonds were identified in the surface layer of the film after plasma etching. There are indications in the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra that traces of fluorocarbon polymer residue have been generated during the plasma etching. The results of this study also indicate a possibility of obtaining a lower dielectric constant HSQ film by plasma etching.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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References

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