AVS 49th International Symposium
    Dielectrics Thursday Sessions
       Session DI+EL-ThA

Paper DI+EL-ThA6
Reduction of the k Value of the Low k Polyimide Film by Plasma Hydrogenation

Thursday, November 7, 2002, 3:40 pm, Room C-107

Session: Processing and Properties of Dielectric Materials
Presenter: Y. Kuo, Texas A&M University
Authors: Y. Kuo, Texas A&M University
T. Chung, Texas A&M University
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For advanced VLSICs, the multi-level interconnection structure requires two types of materials: a low k dielectric and copper metal. Polyimide is one of the few dielectrics that have a low k value, e.g., < 3, and can stand a high annealing temperature, e.g., > 350°C. Previous, it was reported that when a polymer thin film was exposed to a hydrogen plasma, its material properties were drastically changed.@footnote 1@ The hydrogenated film can be applied to many new areas. In this paper, authors report a plasma hydrogenation method that improves the dielectric characteristics of a low k polyimide thin film. We investigated the influence of the plasma process parameters to physical properties, such as the k value, the leakage current, and morphology, and chemical structure, such as the composition and bonding states, of a fluorinated polyimide film. The result shows that the k value was lowered from 2.7 to 2.3 after the hydrogenation process while the leakage current was still low, e.g., 10@sup -9@ Amp. Hydorgenation is an effective method in improving the dielectric characterists of the low k polyimide film. The process is compatible with current semiconductor processes. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@Y. Kuo, "Plasma Swelling of Photoresist," Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 32(1), 1AB, L126, 1993.