AVS 45th International Symposium
    Manufacturing Science and Technology Group Wednesday Sessions
       Session MS-WeM

Paper MS-WeM11
Low Dielectric Polymer Etching with a Downstream Microwave Plasma

Wednesday, November 4, 1998, 11:40 am, Room 317

Session: Advanced Process Equipment and ES&H
Presenter: R.R.A. Callahan, Arizona State University
Authors: R.R.A. Callahan, Arizona State University
G.B. Raupp, Arizona State University
S.P. Beaudoin, Arizona State University
Correspondent: Click to Email
The semiconductor industry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the EPA to reduce the amount of fluorocarbon gases used. In particular, this impacts the way that silicon dioxide etching is performed. At the same time, new dielectric materials that offer lower dielectric constants than silicon dioxide are required to help reduce chip speeds. Polymer dielectrics offer reduced dielectric constants compared to silicon dioxide, and they also can be etched using oxygen, not fluorocarbon gases. We have studied the etching of parylene films using a downstream microwave oxygen plasma, and we will report on the effects of temperature on the etch rate and will provide a tentative etching mechanism.