Evaluation of Ultra-thin Layer Fabricated by Wet-process as a Pore-Seal for Porous Low-k Films

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p>We focused on detailed evaluations of properties of the ultra-thin pore-seal layer (< 3 nm-thick), such as Cu diffusion barrier property and thermal stability. Cu diffusion into dense thermal silica and porous silica low-<jats:italic>k</jats:italic> which are covered with the pore seal layer was evaluated using metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors under bias thermal stress (BTS). Triangular voltage sweep (TVS) measurement shows that the ultra-thin layer on dense thermal silica suppresses the drift of Cu ions. The Time-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) lifetime of porous silica low-<jats:italic>k</jats:italic> covered with the ultra-thin pore seal layer results in a drastic increase of the capacitor lifetime with respect to the no-pore-seal control system (stable at 125 °C at least for 10000 s). Thermal decomposition of bulk material of the pore sealant was measured by thermal gravity (TG) test in nitrogen. Bulk material did not decompose through around 350 °C. The amount of ultra-thin pore seal layer fabricated on silicon wafer after thermal cycle stress in vacuum was measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Amount of pore sealant did not decrease even after 2 cycles of 20 min, at 250 °C. Those results show that the ultra-thin layer, which we propose here, has a potential as a pore seal layer for porous low-<jats:italic>k</jats:italic> films.</jats:p>