Electron beam modification of cvd deposited low dielectric constant materials

Abstract

A process for forming low dielectric constant dielectric films for the production of microelectronic devices. A dielectric layer is formed on a substrate by chemical vapor depositing a monomeric or oligomeric dielectric precursor in a chemical vapor deposit apparatus, or a reaction product formed from the precursor in the apparatus, onto a substrate, to form a layer on a surface of a substrate. After optionally heating the layer at a sufficient time and temperature to dry the layer, the layer is then exposed to electron beam radiation, for a sufficient time, temperature, electron beam energy and electron beam dose to modify the layer. The electron beam exposing step is conducted by overall exposing the dielectric layer with a wide, large beam of electron beam radiation from a large-area electron beam source.

1 . (canceled)  
     
     
         2 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the heating step is conducted.  
     
     
         3 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the chemical vapor deposited dielectric is selected from the group consisting of an oxide, nitride, oxynitride, fluorinated oxide, diamond-like carbon, fluorinated diamond-like carbon, alkyl silanes, alkoxysilanes, Si—O—C, N-terminated arylene ethers, F 4 -terminated arylene ethers, amorphous C—F, Si—C and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 3  wherein the alkoxysilane has the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein at least 2 of the R groups are independently C 1  to C 4  alkoxy groups and the balance, it any, are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, phenyl, halogen, and substituted phenyl; and wherein each R group may be the same or different than another R group.  
       
     
     
         5 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 4  wherein the four R groups are methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy or butoxy.  
     
     
         6 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor material.  
     
     
         7 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gallium arsenide, germanium, silicon, silicon germanium, lithium niobate, crystalline silicon, polysilicon, amorphous silicon, epitaxial silicon, silicon dioxide and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the substrate has a pattern of lines on its surface wherein the lines comprise a metal, an oxide, a nitride or an oxynitride.  
     
     
         9 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the substrate has a pattern of lines on its surface wherein the lines comprise a material selected from the group consisting of silica, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, copper alloys, tantalum, tungsten and silicon oxynitride.  
     
     
         10 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the chemical vapor depositing is conducted at a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 500° C.  
     
     
         11 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the chemical vapor depositing is conducted at a temperature of from about 350° C. c to about 400° C.  
     
     
         12 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the chemical vapor depositing is conducted by heating for from about 30 seconds to about 3 minutes.  
     
     
         13 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the exposing to electron beam radiation is conducted while at a temperature of from about 200° C. to about 400° C.  
     
     
         14 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the exposing to electron beam radiation is conducted for from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes.  
     
     
         15 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the chemical vapor depositing is conducted at a temperature of from about 350° C. to about 400° C. for from about 30 seconds to about 3 minutes, and wherein the exposing to electron beam radiation is conducted at a temperature of from about 200° C. to about 400° C. for from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes.  
     
     
         16 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein after electron beam exposing, the dielectric has a dielectric constant of about 3.0 or less.  
     
     
         17 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the chemical vapor depositing is conducted by low pressure chemical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition, sub-atmospheric chemical vapor deposition or high density plasma chemical vapor deposition.  
     
     
         18 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the exposing is conducted by overall flood exposing substantially the entire thickness of substantially the whole area of the layer to electron beam radiation.  
     
     
         19 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing step is conducted at an energy level ranging from about 0.5 to about 20 keV.  
     
     
         20 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing is from a source which generates an electron dose ranging from about 10 to about 100,000 μC/cm 2 .  
     
     
         21 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing is conducted from a source which generates an electron beam current of from about 1 to about 30 mA.  
     
     
         22 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing is conducted while heating the substrate to a temperature of from about 10° C. to about 400° C.  
     
     
         23 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing is conducted while the substrate is under a pressure maintained in the range of from about 10 −5  to about 10 2  Torr.  
     
     
         24 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing is conducted in a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, argon, xenon, helium, ammonia, methane silane, a blend of hydrogen and nitrogen, ammonia and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         25 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing step is conducted by overall exposing the layer with a wide, large beam of electron beam radiation from a large-area electron beam source.  
     
     
         26 . The microelectronic device produced according to  claim 32  wherein the electron beam exposing step is conducted by overall exposing the layer with a wide, large beam of electron beam radiation from a uniform large-area electron beam source which covers an area of from about 4 square inches to about 256 square inches.  
     
     
         27 . (canceled)  
     
     
         28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . (canceled)  
     
     
         30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A microelectronic device formed by a process which comprises positioning a substrate within a chemical vapor deposition apparatus; charging a monomeric or oligomeric dielectric which is a dielectric precursor into the chemical vapor deposition apparatus; chemical vapor depositing the precursor, or a chemical vapor depositing a reaction product formed from the precursor in the apparatus, as a layer onto a surface of a substrate, optionally heating the layer at a sufficient time and temperature to dry the layer; and then exposing the layer to electron beam radiation, for a sufficient time, temperature, electron beam energy and electron beam dose to modify the layer.  
     
     
         33 . The microelectronic device of  claim 32  wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor material and the substrate has a pattern of metallic lines on the surface.  
     
     
         34 . (canceled)  
     
     
         35 . (canceled)  
     
     
         36 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 32  wherein the step of optionally heating the layer is not conducted.  
     
     
         37 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 32  wherein the step of heating the layer at a sufficient time and temperature to dry the layer is conducted.  
     
     
         38 . (canceled)