Method for producing hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide films

Abstract

A method for producing hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide (H:SiOC) films having low dielectric constant. The method comprises using plasma-assisted polymerization to react a cyclic silane compound containing at least one strained silicon bond to produce the films. The resulting films are useful in the formation of semiconductor devices.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A chemical vapor deposition method for producing hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide films comprising 
 introducing a reactive gas mixture comprising (i) a cyclic silane compound containing at least one strained silicon bond and (ii) an oxygen providing gas into a deposition chamber containing a substrate and inducing a reaction between the cyclic silane compound and oxygen providing gas at a temperature of 25° C. to 500° C.;    wherein there is a controlled amount of oxygen present during the reaction to provide a film on the substrate comprising hydrogen, silicon, carbon and oxygen having a dielectric constant in the range of 2.0 to 3.2.    
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cyclic silane compound is selected from the group consisting of silicon-containing cyclobutanes, silicon-containing cyclopentanes, silicon-containing cyclohexanes, sila-5-spiro[4,4]nona-2,7-diene, and bi-cyclic compounds.  
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cyclic silane compound is selected from  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, and hydrocarbon radicals having at least 1 carbon atom and each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrocarbon radicals having at least one carbon atom.  
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the cyclic silane compound is a silicon-containing cyclobutane.  
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the silicon-containing cyclobutane has the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, and hydrocarbon radicals having at least 1 carbon atom and each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrocarbon radicals having at least 1 carbon atom.  
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the silicon-containing cyclobutane has the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       where each R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, and hydrocarbon radicals having at least one 1 carbon atom and each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydrocarbon radicals having at least 1 carbon atom.  
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the oxygen providing gas is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, peroxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and nitric oxide.  
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the oxygen providing gas is nitrous oxide.  
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the cyclic silane compound is dimethylsilacyclobutane and the oxygen providing gas is nitrous oxide.  
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygen providing gas is in the range of 0.1 to less than 10 volume parts oxygen providing gas per volume part of cyclic silane compound.  
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygen providing gas is 0.2 to 7 volume parts of oxygen providing gas per volume part of cyclic silane compound.  
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reaction is induced by exposing the reactive gas mixture to plasma.  
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the reaction is induced by exposing the reactive gas mixture to plasma at a power of 20 to 1000 W, a pressure of 1 to 10,000 mTorr, and a temperature of 25 to 500° C.  
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the film has a dielectric constant in the range of 2.2 to 2.8.  
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the film has a dielectric constant in the range of 2.5 to 2.8.  
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reactive gas mixture additionally comprises a carrier gas.  
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide film has a thickness of 0.01 to 10 μm.  
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide film has a thickness of 0.5 to 3.0 μm.  
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate.  
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the substrate is selected from a liquid crystal device, a light emitting diode display device and an organic light emitting diode display device.  
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the amount of oxygen providing gas is increased or decreased during the reaction between the cyclic silane compound and the oxygen providing gas to produce a film containing successive layers selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , H:SiOC and SiC:H.  
     
     
         22 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the reaction is induced by exposing the reactive gas mixture to confined, low-pressure microwave frequency plasma combined with RF frequency excitation.  
     
     
         23 . A semiconductor device having thereon a film produced by the method as claimed in  claim 1.