Method to deposit SiOCH films with dielectric constant below 3.0

[0002] 1. Field of Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to semiconductor processing, and in particular, to deposition of dielectric films.

[0004] 2. Related Art

[0005] Integrated circuits fabricated on semiconductor substrates for very large scale integration typically require multiple levels of metal layers to electrically interconnect the discrete layers of semiconductor devices on the semiconductor chips. The different levels of metal layers are separated by various insulating or dielectric layers (also known as interlevel dielectric (ILD) layers), which have etched via holes to connect devices or active regions from one layer of metal to the next. The individual metal and ILD layers can be deposited by conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques, such as high density plasma (HDP) CVD, plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), or low pressure CVD. Typical dielectric materials for the ILD layer include silicon oxides, silicon nitrides, and silicon oxynitrides.

[0006] Current CVD processes typically utilize nitrous oxide (N₂O) or O₂as an oxidizing gas and N₂as a balance or carrier gas in forming an ILD layer. Suitable precursor gases for such layers include multiple siloxanes, such as, but not limited to, tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDSO), tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (TMCTS), and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS). Other suitable precursor gases include alkylsilanes, such as 3MS, 4MS, and PTMS.

[0007] When N₂O as an oxidizing gas or N₂as a balance gas is used, unwanted nitrogen can build into the deposited films or layers, resulting in amines (NH₂groups) formed on the surface of the film or layer. These amines cause photoresist “footing” when exposing the photoresist with deep ultraviolet (DUV) light, as discussed in more detail below.

[0008] As semiconductor technology advances, circuit elements and dimensions on wafers or silicon substrates are becoming increasingly more dense. Consequently, the interconnections between various circuit elements and dielectric layers also need to be reduced. Interconnections and other patterns are formed by etching specific portions of the metal and/or dielectric layer to electrically disconnect or connect active regions.

[0009] Typically, a photoresist layer of photo-reactive polymeric material is deposited over the layer to be patterned or etched. Light such as visible, ultraviolet (UV), or deep UV (DUV) light is directed through a mask onto the photoresist layer to expose the photoresist and transfer the mask pattern thereon. However, as feature sizes continue to decrease, the shorter wavelength light radiation is used to expose the resist. Whereas “I-line” radiation having a wavelength of 365 nm has been the standard, DUV radiation having a wavelength of 248 nm or less is now being used more frequently.

[0010] The exposure of photoresists that are used with deep UV radiation generally creates an acidic reaction in the photoresist. The resulting acidic compounds then react with the developer to create a mask. Since the amines are basic, they tend to neutralize the acids generated by the exposure of the photoresist and thereby inhibit the development of the photoresist. For example, some incident DUV light may be reflected from the underlying layer and scattered back into the photoresist, and contaminants from the underlying layer can migrate into the photoresist. As a result, when the photoresist is developed, the side walls are non-uniform (non-vertical), also known as photoresist “footing”. Consequently, the pattern in the photoresist that is subsequently transferred to the underlying layer is not the desired pattern, but will have errors resulting from the photoresist footing. This is especially critical with dense patterns and smaller feature sizes.

[0011] Accordingly, it is desirable to deposit a dielectric film without the problems discussed above that are associated with conventional techniques.

[0012] In the present invention, a dielectric layer or film is deposited with a chemical vapor deposition process using a CO₂-containing gas with a multiple siloxane or alkylsilane. The CO₂-containing gas can include O₂or a C_xH_(2x+1)OH compound, where 1≦x≦5. The resulting dielectric film or layer shows no photoresist “footing” caused by amines. Furthermore, the deposited layer has a low dielectric constant (e.g., k<3.0) and high adhesion and hardness properties.

[0013] The siloxane or alkylsilane flow is between 0.5 and 10 ml/min., and the CO₂flow is between 500 and 5000 sccm. The deposition pressure is between 0.2 and 10 Torr, the deposition temperature between 25 and 425° C., the high frequency RF power between 150 and 2000 W. and the low frequency RF power between 0 and 500 W.

[0014] In one embodiment, the flow rate of O₂is between 25 and 500 sccm, and in another embodiment, the flow rate of C_xH_(2x+1)OH is between 50 and 500 sccm. Both embodiments produce films with dielectric constants less than or equal to 2.8, hardness of 0.5 to 1.0 GPa, and adhesion of 2 to 6 kpsi.

[0015] The present invention will be more fully understood when taken in light of the following detailed description.

[0016] In accordance with the present invention, a low dielectric constant film or layer is deposited using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process without nitrogen-containing gases, such as N₂or N₂O. The nitrogen-containing gases are replaced by CO₂combined with either oxygen (O₂) or alcohol (C_xH_(2x+1)OH), where 1≦x≦5. Dielectric layers formed with the present invention do not exhibit photoresist footing, while still having a low dielectric constant and high adhesion and hardness properties.

[0017] In one embodiment, a plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) process with CO₂and O₂as a balance gas is utilized to deposit the dielectric layer. The precursor gas can be multiple siloxanes, such as, but not limited to, OMCTS, TMCTS, TMDSO, and TMDDSO, or alkylsilanes, such as, but not limited to, 3MS, 4MS, and PTMS. Table 1 below provides values and ranges of values for various process parameters according to one embodiment.

[0018] The actual values used will depend on a variety of factors, such as the type of layer formed, the size of the wafer, and the deposition process.

[0019] Table 2 below shows comparative values and ranges of values for dielectric constant k, hardness, and adhesion using the process described in Table 1 and a conventional process using nitrogen described in Table 3.

[0020] As seen from Tables 1 and 3, the process parameters are the same, except that N₂O is replaced with CO₂and O₂. However, as a result, whereas the layer deposited with N₂O exhibits photoresist footing due to amines (i.e., NH₂groups), the dielectric layer deposited with CO₂and O₂does not show this “footing” problem because there is no longer unwanted nitrogen to build into the deposited layer. Further, as seen from Table 2, the dielectric film deposited according to the present invention has a lower dielectric constant k and higher degrees of hardness and adhesion.

[0021] It is desirable for the insulating layer to have a low dielectric constant, especially when spacing between conductive elements become smaller. Low-k insulating layers can effectively isolate metal lines from each other and reduce the conductor layer parasitic capacitance and conductor layer cross-talk of the device that is formed and increase the speed of the device.

[0022] In another embodiment, an alcohol, such as methanol, and carbon dioxide replaces N₂O or N₂for CVD deposition of a dielectric layer using multiple siloxanes or alkylsilanes as a precursor gas. The alcohol compound is given by C_xH_(2x+1)OH, where x is between 1 and 5, inclusive. This embodiment differs from the above in that C_xH_(2x+1)OH replaces O₂. Table 4 below lists values and ranges of values for various process parameters for this embodiment.

[0023] The dielectric film or layer deposited with this process yields the same characteristics and properties as a film deposited according to the embodiment of Table 1. Thus, comparison values shown in Table 2 also apply to this embodiment.

[0024] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely meant to be illustrative and not limiting. It will thus be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects. For example, other deposition processes are also suitable for this invention, such as ICP and LPCVD. Therefore, the appended claims encompass all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.