Photodefinable Benzocyclobutene Formulations for Thin Film Microelectronic Applications. III. 1 to 20 Micron Patterned Films

Negative working photodefinable benzocyclobutene formulations capable of obtaining patterned dielectric films from 1 to 20 microns thick are being developed using bisaryl azides as photocrosslinkers. Three different formulations are used to cover this range of film thicknesses. The formulations are very sensitive to the 365 nm and 405 nm wavelengths of light (i-line and h-line) of the high pressure mercury spectrum and require low exposure doses to produce resolved patterns. Twenty five micron round and square vias with sloping sidewalls (geometry good for metallization) have been successfully patterned in 10 micron thick films. The photodefined patterns can be obtained with good film retention using several developing solvents including: Stoddard solvent, Proglyde™ DMM, and n-butyl butyrate.