Post patterning meso porosity creation: a potential solution for pore sealing

The creation of meso porosity in single damascene structures after patterning has been investigated to facilitate the sealing of the sidewalls by iPVD barriers. The dielectric stack consists of developmental porous SILK (v7) resin (SiLK is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company) and a chemical vapor deposited hard mask. Porous SILK (v7) resin was selected since the temperature of vitrification of the material is lower than the temperature of porogen burn out. Creation of meso porosity after patterning results in smooth trench sidewalls, leading to an improved iPVD barrier integrity, as opposed to the conventional process sequence, which gives rise to large, exposed pores at the sidewall.