Companies Develop Tricks of the Trade for Low-k Dielectrics

摘要

The initial transition from FSG and SiO_2 to low-k dielectrics required several changes in semiconductor processing, from new integration schemes to completely redesigned stripping tools. Now, research into second-generation low-k materials is bringing a whole new set of changes, and many "tricks" are being employed to make these soft, porous films manufacturable. At IEEE's upcoming International Electron Devices Society Meeting (IEDM) (see www.ieee.org), NEC, TSMC and MIRAI will reveal some of the ways that porous films can be made more robust, by using hybrid dielectric approaches, pore sealing and/or ultralow-downforce CMP.