NSF/EPA: Environmentally-Benign Processing Low Dielectric Constant Polymers for Microelectronics Applications

摘要：本研究的动机是微电子器件中薄膜材料性能的增强以及微电子制造中生产这些材料的成本效益和环保工艺的需求。全球目标是研究与气相沉积聚合物相关的关键基础加工和材料科学障碍，这是一种有前途的电介质选择，可以解决这些性能，成本和环境技术驱动因素。针对低介电常数的聚酰亚胺和聚酰亚胺薄膜在多层互连中的应用进行了研究。PI将同时研究聚合物薄膜的化学气相沉积（CVD）以及相关的CVD室清洗和聚合物蚀刻。在与摩托罗拉公司和奥林化学公司的工业专业人员合作下，将在本研究的每一步中评估实际过程整合问题以及这种替代技术对环境、安全和健康的影响。这种综合办法将提供一套全面的技术转让方案，以促进在工业实践中的实施。该技术预期的主要环境效益如下：(1)气相沉积避免了基于溶剂的自旋工艺及其相关的空气排放和液体废物；（ii）采用单体回收和再循环的气相沉积具有接近零排放操作的高潜力；（iii）应通过适当的反应器设计和过程控制，减少对CVD室清洗的需要；（四）可使用氧基等离子体进行腔室清洗和沉积后聚合物薄膜的蚀刻，从而无需使用通常用于蚀刻无机介电薄膜的全氟化合物。

Abstract - Raupp - 9613377 This research is motivated by the need for enhanced thin film materials' performance in microelectronics devices and cost-effective environmentally benign processes for producing these materials in microelectronics manufacturing. The global objective is to investigate critical fundamental processing and materials science barriers related to implementation of vapor deposited polymers, a promising dielectric option which addresses these performance, cost and environmental technology drivers. The research targets low dielectric constant thin film parylenes and polyimides for intermetal dielectric applications in multilevel interconnection. The PI's will simultaneously investigate chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of polymer thin films and associated CVD chamber cleaning and polymer etching. In collaboration with industrial professionals at Motorola, Inc. and Olin chemicals, the practical process integration issues and the environmental, safety and health impact of this alternative technology will be assessed in each step of this study. This integrated approach will provide a comprehensive technology transfer package to facilitate implementation in industrial practice. The expected principal environmental benefits of the technology are as follows: (1) vapor deposition avoids solvent-based spin-on processes and their associated air emissions and liquid waste; (ii) vapor deposition employing recovery and recycle of monomer has a high potential for near zero emission operation; (iii) the need for CVD chamber cleans should be reduced through appropriate reactor design and process control; and (iv) chamber cleaning and post-deposition etching of polymer films can be performed with oxygen-based plasmas, eliminating the need for perfluorocompounds (PFCs) commonly employed to etch inorganic dielectric films.