IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Dielectrics Wednesday Sessions
       Session DI-WeA

Paper DI-WeA8
Characterization of SiC Films for Cu/low-k Integration

Wednesday, October 31, 2001, 4:20 pm, Room 130

Session: Low K Dielectrics
Presenter: F.G. Celii, Texas Instruments, Inc.
Authors: F.G. Celii, Texas Instruments, Inc.
T. Tsui, Texas Instruments, Inc.
R. Willecke, Texas Instruments, Inc.
J. Large, Texas Instruments, Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
Silicon carbide (SiC) is being evaluated for integration into Cu/low-k backend process flows. Potential applications include use as a patterning hardmask and as an etch stop layer with Cu diffusion properties. This paper reports the physical and optical characterization of SiC films. Films were deposited on 200 mm wafers in a commercial reactor using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD). Film composition and bonding were elucidated using SIMS, XPS and FT-IR spectroscopies. Optical properties of the films were determined from variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry into the vacuum ultraviolet region (~140 nm). Under some processing conditions, we observed ellipsometry data consistent with a vertical gradient in the SiC refractive indices. The optical constants of the film, along with reflectance modeling using Prolith, suggest SiC can be used as an anti-reflection coating (ARC) layer for lithographic patterning at either 248 or 193 nm. To test the optical modeling results, we have prepared various film stacks containing SiC and organosilicate glass (OSG) on Si or Cu. The reflectivity vs. wavelength will be measured and compared with the calculated reflectivity values. Initial patterning results will also be presented.